Words Fail Me
by JayBird87
Summary: The Dark - a most frightening place when you have no light to guide you. But the hand on your back can sometimes be the only force you need to keep moving forward. Rated M for language, violence, abuse, and sexual content. Reader beware. Reid/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own characters/titles/etc. featured in _The Covenant. _All that good stuff is property of Sony Pictures. Original characters and that stuff are brought to you by my very own imagination.

Words Fail Me

**Chapter 1: The Hand On My Back**

If I try to trace my memories back to where this all began, I can only think of one date. It was on that cold, cloudless November night that I entered the old barn on a "dare". I was new. I wanted to fit in. It was a typical high school sob story, you could say, but in reality it was so much more than that. The barn was on the verge of collapse. The local population said it was a sheer miracle it had remained standing this long. Charlene Mason invited me to a bonfire then night before Thanksgiving; apparently it was some kind of…tradition. I went, not knowing what to expect, but hoping to meet some people I would be able to call friends before the semester was up. Instead, I was faced with my greatest fear: the dark. Yes, it was cheesy, but I couldn't help it. I had been afraid of the dark ever since I was thirteen-years-old. Bad things happened in the dark – things I didn't like to remember.

I stood outside the barn, feeling the warmth of the blazing fire several yards behind me, and I could have sworn fear was emanating from my every pore. It looked so dark through the wide doors and high windows, and it looked like the roof was about to cave in.

"Go on, September. You picked dare. Or are you going to chicken out?" I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. No, I wasn't going to chicken out, no matter how terrified I was of the dark. If I wanted to make friends with any of my new classmates, I had to prove myself. I had to show them I could be one of them.

"I'm just sizing up the place," I replied, and I was relieved to hear my voice was steady and sounded convincingly fearless. I was always a master of the façade. Pushing my auburn bangs out of my eyes, tightening my knotted ponytail, I walked forward to be encased by darkness.

I gazed around the barn, squinting my bright green eyes to try and make out what shapes were facing me. Was that a chair, or a stack of hay? Was that a ladder up ahead, or was that tall and isolating shape the shadow of something far more sinister? I tried to shake these thoughts from my mind. I had to be brave, or I'd lose everything I had been working so hard on for the last three days at Spencer Academy.

And then I heard the sound of movement. There was the rustling of hay up ahead. My heart began beating faster. _It's just the wind coming through the window_, I told myself. _It's just the wind._ I repeated the thought like a mantra as the rustling grew louder, more distinct. My hands began to shake as a proceeded forward. I had to make it out of the barn on the other side to complete my dare. God, I was terrified, but I had to continue. I couldn't stop now; not when I was so close.

The rustling stopped suddenly. I froze. A new sound had emerged; the sound of someone breathing. I clenched my fists, ready to run or even fight if I had to. I had to get out of there, but my feet wouldn't move.

When I felt a hand upon my shoulder, I gasped. I meant to scream, but no noise would emit from my throat. Instinct took over. I swung at the person gripping me, my fist colliding with the stranger's face. The mystery person released me at once and I ran as hard and fast as I could for the door just a few feet away. I stumbled through the doorway and out into the moonlight, my breath coming in short, harsh gasps.

Charlene stood staring at me, accompanied by the rest of our classmates who had been sitting around the bonfire. I could feel their eyes boring into my skin, my face, my every being, and I became suddenly aware of the wetness plaguing my cheeks. I was in absolute tears, but I still couldn't make a sound. I turned my face away from them, begging to God they hadn't seen my face well enough in the moonlight to see that I was crying.

Someone was tugged at my arms, pulling me to my feet. I stared at the ground, unwilling to see who was trying to help me in my atrociously pathetic state. My chest heaved in the remains of my terrified state.

"Come on, Keaton. Let's get you out of here." It was a male voice. He put his arm around my waist, guiding me past the crowd, shielding me from view. I was grateful for the support of the stranger. He led me to what I assumed was his car, pulled open the passenger seat and helped me in. I was still shaking with fright. What happened in the barn only brought back memories of the worst times in my life.

The stranger slid into the driver's seat, and I leaned my head against the cold window of my door so I wouldn't have to face him. I didn't know why I was allowing this stranger to help me. I didn't know why I wouldn't look at his face to see who he was. All I knew was he hadn't reacted like the others; he came to my rescue. I hated the thought of being weak like this; of needing some sort of "knight in shining armor". Normally I could take care of myself, but not in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Riddled With Doubt**

I don't know how long we drove for, but I felt my cheeks dry against the cold window of the car and knew my tears had ceased. My body shook less, and I could feel drowsiness spread through me. I was so tired, and the smooth feel of the road beneath the car didn't help. My eyes drifted to a close as the stranger continued our drive.

The sun streaked across my face. Morning had come. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, wincing in the bright light spreading through the wide windowpane of the room I lay in. I suddenly felt much more awake. This wasn't _my_ room. Where was I? I sat up and looked around, blinking rapidly as my vision came into focus. This room was clearly a bedroom, and it was entirely unfamiliar. There was a chandelier dangling beautifully from the high ceiling, black curtains hanging on either side of the window, and shelves upon shelves of books. The walls were wallpaper-less, stained wood of a dark brown shade. I looked down and saw that I lay in a large bed laden with black satin sheets and a deep red comforter. I was surprised, yet immensely relieved to see that I still bore my clothes from that treacherous night.

My attention snapped to the right side of the room, where a door stood ajar. Voices were emanating from behind it, one of them certainly belonged to the stranger who had rescued her from the terrors of the bonfire. She recognized it simply from then, but still had no clue who it belonged to.

"I checked an hour ago and she was still out cold. I think her parents must still be out of town. I haven't been able to get a hold of them." The familiar voice said.

"What about bringing her to the hospital?" Replied a harsher voice. "Reid, she's been out for three days. How could you be so irresponsible?"

"Oh, _shut up_, Caleb. If I brought her there, what was I supposed to say? 'Yeah, Doc. I put her under a spell to help her relax and it was too strong so now she can't wake up' – I'm sure that'd go over just peachy."

I felt my mouth go dry, and suddenly realized how thirsty I was. But that wasn't my concern now. These boys, Reid and Caleb, were talking about someone who had been unconscious for three days. _They can't possibly be talking about me_, I thought. But as soon as the thought struck me, they began speaking again.

"And that's another thing! How could you use like that? Surely she would have calmed down on her own." That was Caleb's voice.

"You didn't see her, Caleb." Reid's voice sounded strained. "I didn't know how else to help her. She was so…"

I pulled the blankets and sheets off me as quietly as I could. I didn't understand what they were saying. What had Reid used on her? Surely he didn't mean the kind of "spell" he made it sound like. It had to be code. Had he drugged her?

"You should have brought her to the hospital," Caleb stated again. "They could have medicated her. But instead you –"

Reid cut him off. "Shut up. I hear something."

_Damn_! I froze, standing at the edge of the bed, still staring at the door behind which the boys stood. The large, wooden door creaked open and the two boys emerged from the hallway beyond. One was pale skinned with blonde hair. He wore a black shirt and jeans. Tattoos could be seen along his arms and his ears were pierced – he was almost stereotypically rebellious, if not for the look of great concern on his face. The other boy was olive skinned with dark hair, much shorter in length than the first boy's, and wore a familiar casual suit. They were both devilishly handsome, and I grimaced at the thought I could even care about what they bloody looked like. I felt myself sway slightly as I stared at them. My knees were weak.

"Sit down." The dark haired boy commanded. "Before you collapse."

I couldn't help thinking _Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around? _But he was right, and I did as I was told. My head rushed as I sat on the edge of the bed, heaving a sigh.

"How do you feel?" The blonde boy asked, his voice much lighter than the dark haired boy's. His voice was the same as the stranger who had picked her up at the barn.

"I'm fine." I said automatically. Blondie snorted, and the concern on his face turned to some kind of cross between pity and amusement.

"I'd hardly say you're fine, September. You've been asleep for three days." The darker boy replied. The concern on his face contrasted with blondie's, whose eyes met his, causing him to turn his gaze to the floor in some kind of embarrassment.

"How do you know my name? Who are you? Where am I? What happened? Why did you bring me here?" The questions blurted from my mouth as my heart began to pound again. Asleep for three days in a strange room – a strange house – that I had never seen? I had no idea what was happening, and I suddenly realized how potentially dangerous this situation was.

The dark haired boy turned to face the blonde, "Go ahead, Reid. Explain to the girl what happened."

So the blonde one was Reid. That meant the other boy was Caleb. But voice of my rescuer was confirmed. It was Reid. But was he really my savior? I had no idea what had happened in the last three days, if three days really had passed. I waited in silence, my mouth slightly open in anticipation and anxiety of what story he was about to tell.

"I'm Reid Garwin. I don't know if you remember, but you went to the Pre-Thanksgiving Bonfire with Charlene Mason four nights ago. In a game of truth or dare, Charlene dared you to go into the old 'haunted' barn." Reid started. "I don't know what happened in there, but by the time you came out on the other side you were having some kind of… breakdown. Everyone just stood there. I guess they didn't know what to do. I picked you up and carried you back to my car. You were still panicking pretty badly, but after a while of driving you managed to fall asleep. I don't know where you live, so I brought you here – to my house. I carried you up to my room and you just stayed asleep. I tried calling your parents, but there was no answer. The answering machine said they were out of town for the holiday, so I had you stay here."

He took a breath, then continued on. "I tried to wake you up, but you were out cold. Today's the third day you were asleep. Assuming you just woke up in the last 15 minutes, it's just after 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday afternoon."

My mouth fell open more as I stared in stunned silence. Yes, I remembered the night of the bonfire, up until the car ride. He sounded honest, but I had to be sure. I turned my gaze slowly to the bedside table behind me. As if reading my thoughts, Caleb strode over to it and grabbed my cell phone, handing it to me. I flipped it open and looked at the date. Sunday, November 28, 2010. He was telling the truth. I had been asleep for three days.

"What did you do to me?" My voice hoarser than before as reality hit me.

Reid cast a weary glance at Caleb, who raised his eyebrows as if curious to hear the answer Reid was about to supply. "I told you already. I carried you in here, covered you with the blankets so you wouldn't freeze, and that was it."

I shook my head, which was an immediate mistake as a wave of dizziness swept over me. "No. You _used_ something on me. I heard you talking in the hallway."

Reid looked mildly surprised, but his expression quickly turned to amusement. "You must've been dreaming. We weren't talking. We just got up here 5 minutes ago."

"No!" I repeated more forcefully. "I was awake. I heard you."

I was annoyed to see Reid shaking his head with a smirk toying across his lips. "Whatever you say, Keaton. But I didn't _do_ anything to you except give you the privilege of staying in my bedroom rather than a cold, unfriendly hospital room."

Scowling, I looked at my phone again. Of course, no text messages or voicemails from anyone. None whatsoever, not even my parents had tried to reach me. Typical. They were too caught up in their own lives to consider checking up on me while I'm home alone for Thanksgiving weekend.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, my voice bitter with the thought of my careless parents.

"We go to school together." It was Caleb who spoke this time. "Spencer Academy. We all have history together."

My eyes shifted from my cell phone to Caleb's suit and I recognized the Spencer Academy crest on his jacket. Of course! Why hadn't she realized it before? _Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler are the most popular guys here,_ Charlene had said. _Not to mention they're absolutely gorgeous. You'll know it's them instantly._ I hadn't seen them in the week and a half I'd been at Spencer Academy, or if I had I hadn't noticed them. Now that I was face-to-face with them, however, I began to understand what Charlene meant. Their faces, their body structure, everything about them was entirely unique – like nothing I had ever seen before. Yes, devilishly handsome was the only way to describe them.

"Right. I knew that." I lied. I was beginning to grow tired again. I wanted nothing more than to lie back down under those satin sheets and drift into a deep sleep where I wouldn't have to dwell on the distinct appearances of the boys who had seemingly saved my life. My eyes began to close, and I felt the bed sink slightly as a hand touched my back, preventing me from falling back onto the bed.

"Don't go back to sleep, September. You have to stay awake." Reid said, his voice growing more distant. Time seemed to be slowing down as his voice faded further and further away. I knew I shouldn't sleep, but I was being pulled away into the darkness of a figment night. I felt myself slipping back against the cool comforter on the bed. Someone lifted me just enough to bring my head back against the pillows and slid my legs beneath the sheets once more. Before I could murmur any kind of thanks, I blacked out into sleep once more.

**Author's Note: Much longer than the first chapter, I know. I'd really appreciate reviews. I haven't written any fanfics in a longgg time so I'd love love love to know what you think so far. Let me know of any predictions you might make. **

**What really happened in the barn? Why is September fading in and out of consciousness? How will she react to Reid and Caleb when she finally wakes up completely? You'll find out soon, I promise! Read and Review, please! :]**


	3. Chapter 3

**RE: Reviews: **Thanks Marguerite and Lily for the reviews! Yes, Lily, I realized I used "she" once or twice by mistake, but I wrote the first two chapters between 3 and 7am instead of sleeping. I'll try and keep on top of that for the rest of the story.

**Chapter 3: Awkward Last Words**

It was nighttime when my eyes fluttered open. I yawned and sat up groggily, looking at the clock on the bedside table. 11:06pm. It took me a minute to remember where I was as I gazed around the dark room. I felt my heart begin to race as the darkness seemed to deepen. _The dark can't hurt me_, I told myself, but my breath still hitched in my throat.

"September? Are you awake?" I heard the whisper from across the room and recognized the voice to be Reid's. I felt sick with fright.

"Yeah, I'm up." My voice shook slightly. "Can you turn on the light?"

A second later the chandelier had come to life, casting light across every corner of the room. I took a deep breath, relief swelling in my chest as the darkness disappeared. I stared into the corner where Reid sat in a chair that I didn't recall being there when I had woken up earlier, covered in a deep blue blanket.

"Did you stay with me all night?" I asked puzzled. My body was stiff and aching from what I could only assume was so long a time sleeping.

"You mean all day," Reid clarified, "and yeah, I did. You were really out of it. Sleep talking and… I think you were having some kind of night terrors."

I licked my lips, which seemed very dry, and I could only imagine what led Reid to believe I was having nightmares. "What makes you say that?"

"You were, uh, screaming in your sleep." Reid admitted. "Every hour or so. I couldn't wake you up, so I just waited it out until you got quiet again."

"Oh." I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as I turned my gaze away from his. "Sorry."

"What happened to you in the dark that night?" Reid blurted out suddenly. "I mean… When you were sleep talking, you kept mumbling something about 'the dark will take me away like it did that night'."

I turned my gaze up again and our eyes met. I could feel his intense curiosity mingled with concern boring into my eyes, and I didn't know what to tell him – if I should tell him. He was, after all, a stranger. But he had also saved me from the darkness of that night.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it." He added quickly. "I was just wondering if there was… If there was anything I could do to help."

I nodded wordlessly. I couldn't tell him about the dark. I couldn't tell him why I was afraid. Not now, at least. Though I wasn't sure why I thought there would be a later time at all. Strangers – that's what we were. Aside from being classmates, we didn't know each other at all. But maybe that wasn't entirely true. Maybe he knew me better than I thought.

"Why did you help me?" I finally voiced the question that had been dwelling in my mind since the moment my eyes had opened. "You don't know me. You could've left me like the others did."

"I could have," Reid said slowly, "but I've seen someone break down like that before. I couldn't leave you there."

He paused, and I knew what question he was about to pose next. "What happened in the barn, Keaton?"

"I don't know," was my automatic response. I shook my head, and unlike earlier I did not feel a wave of dizziness wash over me. "I mean, Charlene dared me to walk from one end to the other, so I did. I couldn't see anything in there. It was pitch black."

"And you're afraid of the dark." Reid finished for me.

I hesitated, then nodded in agreement. "Don't tell anyone, please."

"I won't." Reid assured me. He pushed the blanket off himself and crossed the room so he was sitting on the bed next to me. He placed a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder and lifted me into a sitting position. "Let's get you cleaned up. You should eat something, too."

"Yeah, okay." My body ached with the extensive sleep I had endured, and it felt good to get out of bed this time. I stood up and stretched my arms behind my head, twisting my hips so as to crack my back. Still, I wasn't sure why I was putting trust into Reid so easily. I knew I ought to have been on my guard more, but my defenses were down and he had already seen me in my most vulnerable state. It also felt good to know someone wanted me around, to get better, for a change – my parents weren't much comfort at home.

Reid led me out into the hall, which was wide and tall with dark mahogany walls, and to an immense marble-laden washroom. He set up the shower for me and left the room, allowing me to marvel in silence at the vast length of the bathroom. It was beautiful, lit by bright lights on a high ceiling, with creamy wallpaper and golden trim on all four sides. The shower itself was against one wall. It was large enough to fit at least two people, and a swimming pool-like Jacuzzi bathtub sat on the opposite end. I pulled my red-brown hair out its ponytail and peeled off my jeans, tank top and undergarments, then stepped beneath the hot water. The heat soothed my sore muscles and I could feel the make-up running down my face. I supposed it was okay to use the soaps and shampoos, so I scrubbed my body until it was almost raw. As the water ran over my exposed body, I couldn't help but think about Charlene's description of the four most popular guys at Spencer Academy.

_Caleb's like, their leader or something. He's tall, dark and brutally handsome. Unfortunately he has a girlfriend, Sarah. Pogue has long hair, and the most muscular body you could ever have the pleasure of seeing. He's dating this girl Kate. Then Tyler's the youngest one. They call him Baby Boy. He's really adorable, never had a girlfriend or anything. Last, but certainly not least, is Reid. _Charlene had smiled reminiscently at the mention of Reid. _He's a major playboy. Rumor says he's hooked up with more than half the female student body here. I got my chance with him back in sophomore year, and god was he good! _

The more I thought about what Charlene had described, the more unsure I became about the situation I was now in. Again, I had to wonder why Reid had taken me in that night after the bonfire. Yeah, he said it was because he'd seen someone break down like that, but I didn't know this guy at all. He could easily be lying to me.

Twenty minutes later, I turned off the water and toweled my hair and body dry. When I looked for my clothes on the floor, I instead found a bag containing an outfit I had never seen before, and which still bore the tags from the store from which it had been purchased. My own clothes were nowhere to be seen. Understanding dawned on me, and I pulled the new items out of the bag. First I found a black strapless bra with matching panties – both in my exact size. I didn't waste time concerning myself over how he could know what sizes I'd need, because following the underclothes a silk navy-colored dress decorated in tasteful rhinestones spilled onto my hands. I had never seen a dress so beautiful before.

At this point my curiosity was getting the better of me. What did I need a gown of this stature for? Deciding it would be better to put on the gown rather than leave the bathroom naked, I dressed and pulled my hair back into a messy bun. Now was my chance to see what I looked like. I turned to face the full-length mirror on the back of the door, and found myself face-to-face with an image that could give the prom queen a run for her money, and this is coming from someone so horribly self-conscious about her image.

"Wow." I murmured, touching the silk straps laced along my shoulders. Still, I had to wonder why this dress was waiting for me. I would have been perfectly fine wearing my jeans and shirt from earlier. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts and caused me to jump.

"Keaton?" That was Caleb's voice. "You alright in there?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in just a minute." I surprised myself with the calm tone of voice I used. I draped the used towels on the edge of the Jacuzzi, scooped up the bag that had contained the dress and pulled open the door. I now stood facing Caleb, who looked even more handsome, and much older, close up. Could he really be just seventeen? Charlene's description of him hardly did him justice.

"How are you feeling?" His eyes followed the length of my dress before matching my own. They were a vivid cocoa and stunningly bright.

"I'm fine," I found myself saying. I glanced down at the dress, then looked back into Caleb's face, trying to decipher his concerned expression and formulate the question I wanted to ask without sounding offensive.

"Reid doesn't really know how to buy clothes for girls." Caleb said as if reading my mind. "Normal clothes, that is. He doesn't know how sizes work, so he got you a dress instead. One size to worry about instead of several, not to mention Sylvia's Dress Shop is the only store he knows for women."

I could barely keep track of the sizes on my clothes, so I knew what that must've been like. "He didn't have to buy me anything. I have my own clothes."

If that had sounded offensive to Caleb at all, he didn't show it. He started walking towards a massive spiral staircase and began descending. I took this as my cue to follow. "Your clothes are in the wash. Reid wanted you to have something to wear while you waited."

"Right." Caleb led me through a vast foyer decorated with more of those mahogany walls and doors, high windows cast with red velvet curtains, and a gorgeous crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, and through a door that presumably led to the kitchen.

Sure enough, I entered the room to find Reid sitting at a counter island, head leaning on his palm, blonde hair covering his ears and eyes. He seemed to be dozing, so I cleared my throat. His head snapped up, eyes alert and searching for the source of the noise. They fell upon me, and his jaw dropped.

"What?" I shifted uncomfortably, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Nothing. I mean," He recovered quickly and sat up straighter, fixing a casual expression on his face.

"You look like you're feeling better." He gestured to the chair next to him.

"Yeah, thanks." I took the seat, shifting my gaze to the assorted food surfaced on the countertop. There were bowls of fruit, cartons of milk and juice, boxes of cereal and silverware wrapped in a fancy cloth napkin.

"Cooking isn't my forte." Reid said. "The chef already went home for the night, so this is the best I can do. I hope breakfast at midnight is okay with you."

I nodded, picking an apple out of one of the bowls of fruit and biting into it. I didn't realize just how hungry I was until that first bite, and I began pulling the cereal and milk and everything else I could reach towards me, consuming the rest of the apple in four bites before moving on to the next item of food. Reid sat in silence, watching me stuff my face like a depraved animal, but I didn't care. I hadn't eaten in four days; I had every right to be hungry.

Fifteen minutes later, I dropped my spoon into my empty bowl of what once contained corn flakes, and sighed contentedly. Reid tore his eyes away from me and looked down at his watch.

"Your clothes should be ready now."

I looked down at the gorgeous navy dress I was wearing, and to my horror discovered it was covered stained with milk and remnants of cereal and fruit. "I'm sorry! I ruined the dress."

"Don't worry about it." Reid replied dismissively.

"Don't worry about it? This must've cost you a fortune!" I replied, shocked at his lack of anger. There was no way this dress was worth any less than $200.

"Something like that, but it's okay, really." Reid assured me. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair, yawning. "In case you haven't noticed by the look of the house, money isn't exactly an issue here."

I opened my mouth as if to argue, but closed it once more. True, the house was extravagant. By its appearance and size, I'd have guessed it was a castle. But I knew there were no castles in Ipswich, so mansion was the next best term to describe Reid's home.

"Right, well. Sorry." I mumbled, sliding off the chair. "I'll change out of this and head out."

"You might as well spend the night." Reid interjected. "We have to get back to the dorms in seven hours anyway."

I raised my eyebrows at him. Surely I had stayed longer than welcomed already. "No, that's okay. I have to get stuff from home before going back to school."

Reid nodded, and I could have sworn I saw a glint of disappointment in his eyes. "I'll drive you. You can keep the dress, or chuck it if you want."

His voice was stern, and I knew there was no point in arguing him there. If the dress really didn't cost him that much, I might as well keep it, right? _It was a gift. It'd be rude to give it back_, I told myself.

"Okay, yeah." I watched him walk through a door at the end of the kitchen and emerge moments later with my freshly laundered clothes. He stuffed them unceremoniously into a plastic bag and grabbed a pair of keys off a hook hanging by the door.

"My car is parked out back." He said, and I followed him through another series of doors until we reached the yard outside, which luckily was cast in light from the house. I stared at the car sitting in the driveway just next to the lawn – a Porsche Panamera S; a car I had only ever dreamed about owning. It was worth just under 90-thousand dollars. My mouth fell open in surprise. Was this the same car he had rescued me in?

"Come on," Reid said, beginning to sound impatient. The change in his voice was startling. "If you want to have enough time to get your stuff together and make it back to school before classes start, we have to leave now."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." I slid into the passenger seat, admiring the leather interior and wooden paneling. It was _gorgeous_. Reid got in on the driver's side and started the ignition. The roar of engine was amazing. Oh yes, this boy was rich all right. I never knew of anyone who could afford such a car as this. Before my thoughts could go any further, we were speeding off into the night at 70 miles-per-hour.

"I live on Chestnut Hill," I said as he zoomed towards the main road. "Number 34."

The speed of the car should have been frightening, but the vibration only felt intoxicating. He whipped sharply around the different turns, and what should have been a thirty minute drive back to my house ended in only 15 minutes. He parked on the street outside my house, and I looked out the window at the place I called home. It was decent enough in size, and definitely nicer than the house I lived in back in Philadelphia, but compared to Reid's mansion it was like a tiny dollhouse. My cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as I turned to face him.

"Thank you for, you know. Taking care of me when I was sick." I said, staring into his beautiful gray eyes. Again, I couldn't help but notice how exquisite his features were.

"S'that your story now? You were sick?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"How else would you explain it?" I replied, suddenly feeling less grateful as he berated me.

He shrugged and leaned forward, reaching across my waist. I felt my heartbeat quicken, wondering what he was about to do. If the rumors were true… But he didn't touch me even the slightest. He reached over me, pulled the latch on my door and opened it.

"I'll see you in history." Reid said with an almost devious grin. I didn't return the smile as I unbuckled my seatbelt and exited that glorious vehicle. I fished through the bag of clothes until I found my keys and unlocked the front door of my house. As soon as I had turned on the light, I heard the roaring of the Porsche fading into the distance. Reid was gone.

**Author's Note: **Again, I'd really appreciate any and all reviews! Do you have any predictions? Let me know what you think!

Are the rumors about Reid true? Will September and he develop any kind of friendship, or will the trust she had in him fade away as she begins to see the kind of person he really is? What will happen if/when September meets the rest of the Ipswich boys? You'll find out soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: You Don't Even Remember My Name**

Sitting on my bed, I couldn't help but notice my comforter feeling nothing like the silk of Reid's bed. I was confused; I was conflicted. There were thoughts racing through my head a mile a minute. I wanted to sleep them all way, but after all the sleep I had endured I knew there was no way I would sleep now. I stared at the taupe walls of my bedroom unblinkingly. There were decisions to be made, though I wasn't quite sure what those decisions were.

A loud buzz sounded behind me, and I turned to see my alarm clock going off. Was it really six a.m. already? I reached across my bed and shut the alarm off, scowling. I didn't want to go back to Spencer today; I didn't want to have to face Charlene and the others from the bonfire. For the first time since I moved here, I didn't want to be among them. I didn't want to belong.

I stood up and slid the pure navy silk dress off my shoulders, feeling it slide down my waist and onto the floor. I examined myself in the mirror above my dresser, and I could see red blotches and scratches from where I had scrubbed myself hard in the shower just hours before. I looked down at my arms and torso, knowing that the reason I had rubbed my skin raw was because of the dirtiness I felt after being in the dark. Some of the red marks even bore bruises where I had rubbed so hard. God, it was so terrifying in that barn.

I kept on the bra and panties Reid had bought me, but slipped into my blue skirt, white button down shirt, tie and matching jacket that bore the Spencer Academy crest. The uniform covered most of the evidence of my aggressive shower, with the exception of the red marks and bruises scattered along my legs. There was nothing I could do about that, though, as I didn't own any kind of stockings or tights. Deciding there was no point in dwelling on the matter, I headed to the bathroom – which seemed so miniscule compared to Reid's – and brushed my hair and teeth. I kept my hair down as to cover my neck, where I was sure more red marks I couldn't see but needed to cover up somehow. My auburn hair fell down below my shoulders, curling lightly in its naturally dry state. I pulled my shoes on and grabbed my overnight bag, which I stuffed my hairbrush, toothbrush and my newly acquired gown into. I would wash it at school, for I didn't have time now.

Walking down the hall towards the stairs, I couldn't help but notice the absence of my parents breathing from behind their bedroom door. They weren't home yet; they had no idea what happened while they were gone on their _private, daughterless holiday weekend getaway. _I tried not to care, but I still felt the pang in my heart as I was once again reminded that they didn't really care about me. It may be a melodramatic thought, but a large part of me still believed it to be true.

I threw on my leather jacket, swung my small duffle bag over my shoulder and grabbed my keys off the counter. The walk to the bus stop three blocks away was refreshing as the cold air stung my face. Reid owned a Porsche. I owned a bus pass. And I was perfectly okay with that thought.

**Author's Note: **This chapter is a lot shorter than the others, but again I was writing at 3a.m. Hopefully I kept it in first person all the way through. So, again! Let me know what you think and of any predictions you might have about what's coming next. Unfortunately I'm back at work this week, so I won't be able to write as much, but I'll update again as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: All That I've Got**

Over the course of the next week I had no interaction with Reid, Caleb or the two guys who hung out with them that I assumed were Pogue and Tyler. I was thankful for the silence between us, but sometimes I thought I felt someone's eyes upon my back. I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid, or if every time I exited the classroom before Reid, he really was watching me.

I wasn't fortunate when it came to Charlene, though. The first day back I had English, and of course she took the seat next to me immediately. There was a look of excitement and intense curiosity on her face, and I knew what was coming as she opened her mouth to speak.

"So, give me the details, girl!" She whispered, not even bothering to try and hide her enthusiasm. I wasn't sure what could be so exciting about me having a panic attack outside a bar the night before Thanksgiving, and the only reaction I could manage was the raising of my eyebrows.

"Word has it that you spent the weekend with one Reid Gardner." She grinned deviously.

I closed my eyes, relieved that she didn't want to know the details of what happened in the barn.

"Yeah, but it's not what you think," I whispered back, opening my eyes and looking at her. "He invited me for Thanksgiving since my parents were out of town. It was nothing."

Now it was Charlene's turn to raise her eyebrows. "So you spent the _whole_ weekend with him?"

"No, not with him-with him. I mean, I stayed in the guest room and he stayed in his room. Nothing happened, I swear. _I swear_, Charlene. I don't even like him like that. He's arrogant and cold and he's so not my type."

Charlene turned her gaze to Professor Greenberg, who had begun his lecture on Stephen King. "Whatever you say, September."

**A/N: **I know, I know. I said I wouldn't update until later in the week when I posted my last chapter, but I stayed up until 6 watching the Covenant for the first time in like, a year, and I just had to write more. Readers, you may have noticed from my author's notes that I don't sleep, so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors I may have made, or even better: tell me what and where they are so I can fix them.

Again, read and review! Make predictions, tell me what you think, all that good stuff. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Son of the Damned**

_Reid's Point of View_

I really had no choice that night at the barn. I Used so I could see what Keaton did as she walked through the barn, but even in Using I wasn't entirely sure what happened. I was the first to walk around to the other end of the barn, followed by that stuck-up bitch Charlene and the rest of the bonfire crew. They of course couldn't see what I could, but we were all witness to what happened when Keaton stumbled out of the barn.

I hadn't seen anyone thrown into a breakdown like that in years; not since before my mother died. It really hit home to watch Keaton in such a terrified, vulnerable state, so I did the only thing I could think of: I brought her back to my place, Using again to calm her down and ease her into a dreamless sleep. I carried her up to my room, tucked her into bed, and watched her sleep peacefully. One night's sleep soon turned into three days of unconsciousness, and I realized I had put too strong of a spell on her. That was the problem with me Using so much – the more addicted I became, the harder it was for my to control.

Caleb was furious, of course, but he helped me out with her all the same. It was part of our bond as the Sons of Ipswich – we were like brothers, and brothers helped each other out. While Caleb and I normally didn't see eye-to-eye on things, I was still glad to have him there to lend a hand, especially since I never had to deal with the company of a girl in circumstances like that.

On Sunday, the fourth night she occupied my room, Keaton finally came to. She was pretty messed up, and I used that to my advantage to cover up any tracks by my…special abilities. I couldn't have her asking questions.

During Algebra the next morning I filled in Tyler and Pogue, with the frustrating and unnecessary interruptions of Caleb. We went over all the shit that happened in whispers, my eyes flashing black to prevent anyone who might have been within earshot from being able to listen. Somehow news began to spread through the halls of Spencer Academy that September Keaton and I had spent the whole of Thanksgiving break together. Of course, no one knew what really happened except me, Caleb, Pogue, Tyler and September, so the rumor implied she and I had some kind of four-day sexcapade.

It wasn't a surprising twist for a rumor, considering how many chicks I'd boned at Spencer already. But even with my glorious playboy reputation I wasn't thrilled. Ordinarily I'd be more than happy to spread the rumors of my sexual endeavors, but I couldn't shake the image of pure terror on September's face as I lifted her off the ground Wednesday night. The more I thought about it, the more sick I felt knowing that the guys from the bonfire's minds instantly jumped to a weekend hook-up, when they _witnessed_ her breakdown. It infuriated me, even, but I couldn't think of any way to quell the rumor without putting Keaton on the spot. I didn't know what to say to her after all of this, so instead I avoided her like the plague. Even so, I sometimes couldn't help glancing at her while her back was turned, just to make sure she was still okay.

**A/N: **So, Reid's P.O.V. What do you think? I appreciate all the reviews and all of you following the story. I love the feedback, and I'll update soon. I can't stop writing now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Doctor Is In**

_September's P.O.V._

It didn't matter how much I tried to convince people the rumor about Reid and I wasn't true, but the effect the rumor had was quite different than what I had expected regardless. My classmates didn't whisper behind my back or treat me like some whore. Rather, they had some kind of bizarro respect for me. All the girls wanted to compare experiences, and some of the guys were suddenly very interested in partnering up for Chemistry 101. Had this been West Philadelphia High School, it'd be a whole different story. I'd have been marked an outcast, labeled a slut, and god only knows what else if a rumor like this one had been spread about me. But at Spencer Academy it was completely different. My classmates reaction came as such a shock to me that I didn't know how to respond to the girls who wanted to know:

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how was he in bed? I ranked him as an 8 last year."

I shrugged off questions like those the best I could, then came up excuses to get the hell out of there. I was still successfully avoiding Reid, which only added to the speculation and questions I received from my peers:

"Oh my god! You guys are like, never seen in public together. Are you still with him? Is it a forbidden romance?"

Dealing with all this shit was extremely annoying, but for some sick, twisted reason it made me jump from the nobody new girl to the girl people raced to sit next to during lunch. If ever there was a "what the fuck" moment in my life, it was every time that exact scenario in the cafeteria, sometimes even in class, happened. I had wanted to make friends when I first moved here, but this was just such a weird way for that to happen. I felt like fucking Bella Swan or some disgusting cliché like that. It was embarrassing, but I didn't think I had a choice in the matter. I guess I was just grateful that no one seemed to remember the events that led up to my stay at Reid Garwin's mansion to begin with.

Three weeks passed and the holiday break was finally within sight. It would be good to get away from Spencer and have time to really think about everything that had happened since my first day. Charlene, who had decided that Thanksgiving weekend was enough to put me at a high social status, walked me to my history classroom after English, and I told her about my upcoming vacation to San Francisco to visit my cousin.

"Sooo… Are you going to California alone, or are your parents going too?"

"Like hell they are," I scoffed. "They hate my cousin because she dropped out of school, flew to the other side of the country, and joined a punk band called The Squids."

"I see." Charlene grinned mischievously. "Is anyone _else_ going with you?"

I knew she meant Reid and I rolled my eyes. I thought she had finally put the idea of me and him to rest, but clearly I was mistaken. I stopped walking right outside the classroom door.

"For the last time, Charlene. I am not fooling around with Reid Garwin!" And at that exclamation, my luck ran dry. The very blonde I had just mentioned came into view first, followed by his regular posse of Caleb Danvers, Pogue Perry and Tyler Simms. My cheeks blushed crimson at the thought that they might have just heard my sudden outburst. Instead, I saw them involved in their own, highly animated discussion. From what Caleb and Reid's faces portrayed as they drew closer, it looked some kind of fight. I saw Charlene slip away, walking at a quick pace in the opposite direction of the "Sons of Ipswich".

"They get _really_ intense. Sometimes they even get violent. They get thrown out of Nicky's like, every other week for bar fights and whatever. The best thing you can do is run in the other direction when they're like that. If you stick around to watch you might get hurt in the crossfire." She had told me just two days previously. But my eyes were glued to the boys, and with each passing second I began to understand what she had been warning me against.

"I don't give a shit about Sarah! She knows about us, and that's enough for me!" Reid growled, stopping just two yards away from me, his fists clenching.

"Well that's too fucking bad, Reid, 'cause I'm not breaking up with her!" Caleb shouted back.

"Oh, and _I'm _the irresponsible one?" Reid laughed harshly, moving closer to Caleb as if he were about to start swinging. "She could expose us all, Caleb! What part of _secrecy_ do you not fucking understand?"

Tyler put a hand on Reid's shoulder, and I could barely hear him mutter, "Let it go for now. We're going to be late."

Reid pushed Tyler off and backed away from Caleb, raising his hands as if in surrender, but the feelings of resentment were clearly represented on his face. "Fuck history. I don't need that shit."

Without another word, Caleb and Pogue walked past me into the classroom. Tyler stared at his best friend, but when Reid made no move towards the door, he shook his head and entered the classroom after the others. The bell rang, and it was just me and Reid in the hallway. At this point, I wasn't even sure he knew I was there. Instinct told me to go to class and pretend I hadn't seen or heard anything, but the stronger, more prominent part of me – I suppose it was my heart – told me it was high time I returned the favor to Reid. He had helped me in my time of need, and now it was my turn. He was still fuming with anger, and I had the unmistakable feeling he required a punching bag, but that wasn't going to turn me away from the situation at hand.

I moved forward, closing most of the space between us, and stared him straight in the face. "Let's go for a walk."

"No." He turned his eyes to the floor. His hair cast a shadow over his eyes, preventing me from seeing most of his face when it was turned down like that.

I grabbed his arm – not roughly, but firmly. "Let me clarify: _we're _going for a walk, _now._"

He looked up again, and I could see his face once more. His expression had altered ever so slightly from bitter to some sort of amusement. His eyes locked on mine and we shared some sort of silent agreement. I started walking down the hall, pulling him with me.

"Where are we going?" He asked after a few minutes. I didn't answer as I led him out of the main building and toward the dormitories. He said nothing more as we ascended the stairs to the third floor, turned right down the hallway, and stopped outside of room 312. I pulled my key from my pocket and unlocked the door, leading the way into my dorm room. The room was meant to be a double, but I had been fortunate enough to transfer into a single. My bed was messily made with blankets and pillows in various shades of green. The opposite bed was laden with a plain, baby blue blanket and pillow. I wanted it to look presentable, but there was no need to bring in _nice _bedding if it was just for show. Regardless, I sat on that bed to allow Reid to sit on mine, which was much more comfortable and friendly.

"Start talking," I said simply. He stared at me perplexedly. Much of the anger had faded from his face at this point.

"I can see your mind reeling behind your eyes." _Ugh. That was pathetically poetic._ But I could tell he was itching to speak, and he was just holding back. "Start talking before you explode."

He stared at me, and I felt like he was sizing me up for judgment. Of course, he didn't know if he should trust me, just like I didn't know if I should have trusted him. But still, I couldn't let this go.

"I can't tell you," He sighed exasperatedly. "I mean, it's not anything against you. It's not personal. I'm just… We have a pact. We can't talk about it with outsiders."

But it was at those last seven words that the words began stumbling out of his mouth as his eyes flashed with anger. "And Caleb broke the pact. We all swore to secrecy, and he went and blabbed it all to that stupid bitch Sarah. He barely knows her! I mean, fuck man, how does he know we can trust her? She fuckin' knows too much but he's not willing to do anything about it."

"Does he love her?" I asked.

He stared at me, forehead still creased with fury. "Fuck if I know."

I sighed. "Well, if he loves her, then he'll tell her everything, and as his friend, you should trust his judgment."

"You don't get it." He shook his head, and his tone sounded much less bitter, maybe even sadder. "This pact is the only reason Caleb keeps me around. Maybe you haven't noticed, since you haven't been here that long, but me and Caleb don't… mix well."

I rolled my eyes. The new girl card, of course. "I've been here long enough to see that you're not the biggest fans of each other, but you still spend an awful lot of time together. You're tied together somehow – you, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler. Maybe it's that whole 'Sons of Ipswich' thing, maybe it's not, but for whatever reason you have this… unbreakable bond."

"How do you…" He paused, shaking his head. "You're different than I thought."

Why did this statement surprise me? After all, he was different than what I had expected him to be. "How do you figure? You barely know me."

"And you barely know me," he countered. "But that hasn't stopped you from making judgments. When you were sick, you made it seem like you were an honest person. You weren't one of these stuck-up chicks like you usually find here. Guess I was wrong."

"I am _not_ stuck up!" I shot back, my eyes widening in surprise. "If anything it's _your_ fault people even know my name around here."

Reid stood up suddenly, and I could feel the anger pulsing through him. His fists clenched, and I knew now was the time to be frightened. If Reid was going to get violent, then I was just going to push right back. I stood up too, eyes blazing, furious over the insult he had handed me.

He raised his fist, instead of taking a swing at me, his eyes flashed black as night and the lights went out. The room was cast into darkness.

**A/N: **I'm thinking of switching off between their points of view. Maybe alternating between each chapter, or every couple of chapters or something. Also, this chapter is much much longer. Over 1000 words, in fact. Too long? Too short? Just right? Let me know what you think.

Coming up: Why is Reid reacting so negatively to September? How will this fight progress? With September's fear of the dark, things can only get worse between them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Thank you again for all the reviews! Sorry it took so long for this next chapter. I have two half-days at work this week so I'll hopefully have one or two more up after this. In the mean time… Mixing it up a little in this next bit – let's see how it plays out if I switch between September and Reid's perspectives within the same chapter.

**Brief Recap– **

"You're different than I thought."

"How do you figure? You barely know me."

"And you barely know me," he countered. "But that hasn't stopped you from making judgments. When you were sick, you made it seem like you were an honest person. You weren't one of these stuck-up chicks like you usually find here. Guess I was wrong."

"I am _not_ stuck up! If anything it's _your_ fault people even know my name around here."

Reid stood up suddenly, and I could feel the anger pulsing through him. His fists clenched, and I knew now was the time to be frightened. If Reid was going to get violent, then I was just going to push right back. I stood up too, eyes blazing, furious over the insult he had handed me. He raised his fist, instead of taking a swing at me, his eyes flashed black as night and the lights went out. The room was cast into darkness.

**Chapter 8: Let it Ride**

_September's P.O.V._

Darkness encompassed the room and my heart began to race instantly. It was beating so fast and so hard that I was sure Reid must have been able to hear it. Seconds seemed to turn into hours as the darkness deepened.

"Reid," my voice was barely above a whisper and quivered with sudden fright. "Turn on the light. _Please_."

The door flew open, and light from the hallway spilled into the room. I took a deep breath, relief flooding through my veins to my pounding heart. Before I could even fully understand what was happening, I saw a flash of blonde disappear out the door – almost as if in a puff of smoke. He was gone so suddenly and I was momentarily stunned. The second he was gone from sight the ceiling lights and the lamps placed strategically around the room turned back on. Over the course of 15 seconds, Reid had gone from nearly violent to shockingly cruel, and then he just…disappeared. My heart was calming down and my previous feeling of anxiety and terror were replaced by pure anger.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_ I thought furiously. _What kind of sick joke is he playing at? All I tried to do was offer him the chance to talk, and he just fucking threw my fear of the dark at me. And he knows that he's the only person I've told! How could he do that to me? What did I do to deserve that?_

My mind was racing uncontrollably. This guy was nothing more than a self-loathing bastard and I had had enough. _So much for my midnight hero._ But I would have my chance to get even soon enough, for another bonfire was to happen in just a few days, and I knew Reid would be there. He would be there for the very same reason as me: a fresh, blazing fire, surrounded by a killer party, was sure to stomp out the memory of that first encounter.

_Reid's P.O.V._

I stormed out of the dormitory building, heading for the student parking lot. My mind was racing with resentful thoughts. _What the hell did I do? She tries to help me, and I act like a total fucking douchebag. God, I'm such an idiot. Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ I wasn't looking for my Panamera, but rather for Tyler's Hummer. As long as I didn't trash it, he'd had no problem with letting me take it out without his "permission". But even Tyler said no, I'd have taken it anyway. Even now, when I didn't have the key for the car itself, I let any thoughts of the potential look on Tyler's face when he would enter the parking lot and find his precious 16th birthday present missing be swept away in my state of self-loathing.

The black jeep-like vehicle came into view and my eyes flashed to match the paint job. The door flung open and the headlights blazed before I was within 3 feet of the car. The engine roared to life as I buckled myself in – a habit I had developed on Tyler's annoying insistence – and zoomed out of the parking lot at 90 miles per hour. I reached the turnpike and the labels marked "Speed Limit: 65 MPH" were a blur as the Hummer maxed out at 140. It was the most reckless driving I'd ever done, but my jet-black eyes made me feel invincible. It felt good to Use without any of my so-called "brothers" giving me grief for it. That feeling was of freedom was blissful – an intoxicating escape even. The exhilaration was addictive – or maybe it was just the power – and it blew all thoughts of September Keaton and the conflict that came with her out of my mind.

The turnpike was surprisingly empty, but it just made my temptation for speed that much stronger. The curves of the highway were sharp and quick and the danger pulsed through me and it felt fucking amazing. I was at the top of my game, letting out all my anger and frustration on the road before me.

I would have continued on like that forever if I could, but a few hours would have to suffice. Regardless, it took only three seconds for everything to change. My cell phone rang and I reached over to the passenger seat to grab it, and I found myself facing a Darkling. Having never seen one before, I panicked. I slammed the brakes, but the car propelled forward and rolled over onto its side, right off the highway. The Hummer slammed into the ground completely upside down on the side of the road. I felt something warm and sticky on my face, which stung with cuts from the shattered windshield. Smoke was seeping through the broken windows as I tried to unbuckle my seatbelt. How could I be so stupid? I could've Used to prevent the damn crash. _Tyler is going to kill me_.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Make Plans to Break Plans**

_September's P.O.V._

Two days passed at school and the bonfire party was just six hours away. I had this whole elaborate plan forming to get back at Reid for giving me that panic attack when I had tried to _help_ him. The problem was that Reid had virtually disappeared. He wasn't in history, nor was he in biology according to Charlene. From the looks of it, he wasn't in any of his classes at all. He wasn't even on campus. My plan would be ruined if he didn't show up at the party tonight.

It was on my way to the cafeteria for lunch when I noticed the remaining Sons of Ipswich piling into the silver Camaro that belonged to Caleb. I watched them, and it occurred to me that the car Caleb had parked next to was Reid's. But then where the hell was the fourth "brother"? I was dying to find out, and considering how unusual it was to see Caleb, Pogue and Tyler leaving in the middle of the day – and not in Tyler's Hummer, their usual ride – I made the impulsive decision to follow them.

It was a decision I knew I would regret as soon as I jumped into my dad's pick up truck, which he had lent me as some sort of pathetic apologetic gesture for what happened during Thanksgiving break. The boys had already pulled out onto the main road and it took a while for me to catch up to them, especially since I had to be sure not to appear like I was tailing them. Keeping up with them was a challenge as they whipped around curves at incredible speeds. It was hard to believe the silver sports car could handle it, but somehow they managed to pull into the parking lot of St. Vincent's Hospital. I parked a few rows away from them and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I shrugged out of my Spencer's Academy jacket and kept my sunglasses on as I followed the three guys into the hospital. I hoped that they wouldn't notice me following them, and if they did I hoped my last-minute disguise would be enough for them to shrug it off as a stranger walking in the same direction.

I was lucky enough to not be noticed by anybody as I followed Caleb, Pogue and Tyler down the white halls. I didn't understand what could possibly have brought them here. Surely this had nothing to do with Reid. It had to be something else. Reid couldn't be…

But my unspoken question was answered when I turned the corner and found myself in the Intensive Care Unit, where the three Sons of Ipswich entered a room with glass paneling. Through the glass I could see the backs of Caleb, Pogue and Tyler as they surrounded the patient's bed.

"Oh. My. God." I had never seen a more gruesome sight than Reid Garwin lying asleep in that hospital bed so banged up and bruised. His once handsome face was laden with red cuts and raw skin, his hair was singed and knotted, and there were stitches along his neck. His left arm was in a cast and sling. I stood there in total shock at the sight. How could this happen? What _did_ happen? How had Caleb and the others manages to keep all of this quiet? My heart was racing with mixed emotions and my mind was numb. This was _so_ not what I was expecting when I followed the silver Camaro out of the Spencer lot. I backed up, moving away from the windowed room as I felt the blood drain from my face. _When_ did this happen? It had to have been right after our fight. Did that make me responsible some how?

_No_, I told myself. _It's not my fault. Whatever he did, it's all on him_. But even as I thought this, I felt my heart sink. I continued to stare into the room, unnoticed by the three conscious boys. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. But, wait. _What do I care if Reid is in the hospital? We're not friends. We can't stand each other! But he's still human._

My eyes burned, and I suddenly realized I was crying. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ But I knew what it was. Seeing him lying there so helpless was a reminder of my own traumas. As I wiped the few tears that had managed to escape my eyes with the back of my hand, I could feel someone staring at me. I looked up and saw Tyler's eyes locked on mine. _Shit!_ He said something to the others and walked towards me. Caleb and Pogue didn't turn to look at me, and I didn't know if they even cared that I was there.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tyler walked through the automatic door, and he looked different – tired, with worry lines creasing his face.

"I followed you." I admitted, my cheeks burning through my sickened expression at the sight of Reid. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. You tell me. You were the last person to see him before he landed in here." Tyler's voice was bitter and cold, but his eyes were pained in contrast.

"He… We… We had a fight. I was trying to talk him down after his argument with Caleb. He got angry and…" I tried putting it into words the best I could, "And he got violent and then stormed out. I don't know where he went or what he did after that."

Tyler surveyed me, then nodded. He believed my story. "That sounds about right. He left campus – took my car. Somewhere along the turnpike he flipped over. My Hummer was totaled. No chance of fixing it. Reid's lucky he survived at all."

I could picture the whole accident in my mind. It was so awful to think about. Now that I knew the story behind his disappearance, I wished I had stayed at school. I was overwhelmed with guilt. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I… I provoked him. I should have left him alone. He didn't want to talk to me. I made him. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's not your fault, September." Tyler sighed. The bitterness had left his voice for the most part, and I had a feeling he wasn't too happy with me right now. "I knew something like this would happen eventually. He's always been so self-destructive. He doesn't care how it affects everyone else."

I nodded, not really understanding what Tyler meant, but knowing enough that I stopped trying to apologize. I turned my eyes away from him and found myself looking at Caleb, who was sitting in a chair next to Reid's bed, holding his head n his hands. Tyler's eyes followed my gaze, and he sighed again. "Caleb feels responsible for what happened with Reid. He says it's his fault the car flipped over. Of course it's not true, but he's the oldest of us and feels like he has to take care of us. I mean, not so much Pogue as me and Reid. But he couldn't have done anything to prevent this from happening."

My eyes narrowed as I stared at Caleb through the glass. No, it wasn't really Caleb's fault, but part of me still blamed him. If he hadn't yelled at Reid, then Reid and I wouldn't have fought, and none of this would've happened.

"It's not unusual for them to fight." Tyler said, as if reading my mind. "Reid and Caleb never see eye-to-eye. What you saw Wednesday morning was nothing compared to some of their other fights. The difference this time was… Well, you. You ran interference. Reid usually burns off steam on his own."

_Gee, that makes me feel so much better_. "I was just trying to return the favor. I guess I made it worse."

"You don't have to return the favor. I think it'd be better if you just stayed away from him from now on." Tyler walked back to the glass door. "Go back to ignoring him. He was better off when you avoided each other."

"I think we were all better off." I replied unpleasantly, walking down the hall away from Tyler and the hospital room.

**Author's Note:** This chapter was just September's P.O.V. because obviously Reid was asleep. But stay tuned for the next chapter! Reid returns to school. How will he react to Tyler's warning to September? Once again rumors begin to circulate the halls at Spencer Academy, and September is on the fast track to obsession when it came to the second youngest Son of Ipswich.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Sooooo sorry it took me so long to update! I started writing chapter 10, then changed my mind and turned that into chapter 11, so then I had to rewrite chapter 10, and I had writer's block and yadi yadi ya. But I'm back now! That being said, things are going to get much more intense at Spencer Academy.

**Brief Recap-**

"It's not unusual for them to fight. Reid and Caleb never see eye-to-eye. What you saw Wednesday morning was nothing compared to some of their other fights. The difference this time was… Well, you. You ran interference. Reid usually burns off steam on his own."

"I was just trying to return the favor. I guess I made it worse."

"You don't have to return the favor. I think it'd be better if you just stayed away from him from now on. Go back to ignoring him. He was better off when you avoided each other."

"I think we were all better off." I replied unpleasantly, walking down the hall away from Tyler and the hospital room.

**Chapter 10: Keep Me In Suspense**

_Reid's Point of View_

I spent four days in St. Vincent's after crashing the car. I didn't know what felt worse: my dozens of injuries or the guilt that I had destroyed Tyler's Hummer. That car had meant the world to Baby Boy, and I destroyed it. Regardless of my guilty conscience, I was released from the hospital and sent home. The doc's orders said five days bed rest, but since when do I ever do what people tell me to do? Two days at home was enough for me. I wasn't in the mood for my dad's lectures on how I'm a failure and "disgraced the family name" and whatever. It was sheer luck that the keys to his Chevy Cobra were sitting on the kitchen counter after he got home from a night of drinking. What was I supposed to do? Just because I crashed the last car I drove didn't stop me from going 90 miles per hour down the twisting back roads that led to Spencer Academy. I entered campus just after classes had ended for the day with evidence of my reckless driving painted across my face in fading red scars. I walked past groups of whispering girls and gangs of guys with scrutinizing eyes, but I didn't pay any attention to them. I was just relieved to be out of the house.

I pushed open the door to the dorm room I shared with Tyler and threw myself onto my bed. I was tired and sore, but at least I was back where I belonged. I rested my head on the pillow with the intent of just relaxing for a few minutes, but found myself sitting up some time later and seeing that the clock had pushed 3 hours ahead. I looked to my right and saw Tyler sitting on his bed, watching me. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Yeah, I know." I replied with a yawn. "But the old man was riding me pretty hard. I had to get out of there."

"You should've called."

"Why? So you could skip out before I have the chance to apologize? You know, Pogue was the only one who came to visit me in the hospital after Caleb freaked out."

"Pogue's a good guy. But I don't want to hear your apologies, Reid." Tyler rolled his eyes. "You don't owe—"

"Yes I do," I cut him off. "Listen, Baby Boy. I'm sorry I wrecked the Hummer. I'm really sorry. I fucked up big time."

"Yeah, you did. But it wasn't all your fault. Keaton pushed you too far."

That wasn't the response I was expecting from Tyler at all. Was he seriously blaming September Keaton for the shit I had pulled? "Baby Boy, come on. You of all people know what I'm capable of."

"And I know what it takes to push you to the breaking point. Reid, you're my best friend. No one knows you like I do. You wouldn't have crashed unless your mind was somewhere other than the road."

"It wasn't –" I stopped and looked at the door, making sure it was closed. Deciding it was safe, I ran a hand through my hair. "Tyler, it wasn't Keaton. Someone sent me a Darkling. It happened right on the highway. I didn't have time to react."

Tyler frowned and his forehead creased in worry. "A Darkling? But… Who? How? Chase is dead. There isn't anyone else except us, Pogue and Caleb."

"That's what I've been trying to figure out, but with my dad yelling at me it was kind of hard to think. He sure as hell wasn't going to help me, so I came here." I shrugged.

Tyler stood up suddenly, and I could see the concern and uncertainty sprawled across his face. If ever there was a time where Baby Boy didn't look so young, it was now. "The Covenant should meet. We'll find out more if we work together."

"No. I don't want Caleb involved in this." I grabbed my fingerless black gloves off the nightstand and pulled them on, followed by my black beanie cap.

"I can solve my own problems." I bolted out the door before Tyler could say another word, but I could swear I heard him say, "_That's what I'm worried about"_ as I left.

Over the next few days I did my best to ignore Tyler, Caleb and Pogue. In fact, after I first brought up the Darkling to Tyler it had fallen right out of my mind. I kept seeing September's auburn hair darting out of sight before I could have the chance to even try to talk to her, and I wondered why she was ignoring me. Hadn't we given up the silent treatment game before the accident? I guess I was wrong. She wouldn't so much as glance in my direction, and for whatever reason it was driving me crazy. I had this aching feeling in my chest, and I knew it was my conscience telling me to apologize to her. _Stupid fucking conscience. _

The third night back at Spencer there was a party happening down at Nicky's. I knew the risk of running into Tyler, Pogue and Caleb would be ever present if I went, but I also knew there was the possibility that Keaton would be there. For me, the pros outweighed the cons. I knew that if she wasn't there, I'd end up getting plastered – or even if she was, I'd probably end up getting plastered anyway – so I hitched a ride with Sarah and Kate. As much as I couldn't stand Sarah, I knew she had nothing to gain from telling Caleb I was going to Nicky's thanks to her crap car. After she parked, I darted inside and set my sights on the pool table. I always dominated when it came to billiards, so this was where I always spent my time at Nicky's.

Unfortunately Tyler had the same idea. He walked in a few minutes after Sarah and Kate and set his eyes on me immediately. Following him were Caleb and Pogue, and soon after were Aaron, Kendra, Charlene and a bunch of other Spencer students. It was too late to run now. I was cornered.

"Just leave me alone, Baby Boy." I said as Tyler walked towards me. I leaned over the table, lining up the pool stick with the cue ball. I made my shot, pocketing three stripes.

"I don't wanna deal with your shit right now."

"How's about you face me now." Caleb approached me. I stood up, holding the pool stick at my side, and tensed up. If there was ever a way for me to let me frustration out, it was fighting with Caleb. He may be my "brother", but that never stopped him or me before.

"I don't want to have to look at your bastard face. Leave me the hell alone." I hissed at him. I made sure the anger was clear in my words.

"No way. You told Baby Boy some pretty important shit and we have to deal with it. You can't keep avoiding this problem." Caleb stood firm, seemingly unthreatened by my tone of voice.

"Oh, so he told you, did he?" I glared at Tyler who had the decency to look ashamed. "Some best friend."

"Come on, Reid. We have to deal with this now, before it gets out of control." Caleb insisted.

"I'm fine, thanks." I replied sarcastically.

"Hey, take it outside!" Nicky, the bartender, yelled at us. This wasn't the first time he'd made this command at me and Caleb, either. I threw the pool stick down and walked past Caleb, making sure to bump into him – hard – and headed out the door. I walked around to the side of the building, kicking the wall.

"You're letting your guard down over some girl." Caleb said, following me out.

"You're one to talk," I scoffed.

"Don't push me, Reid." Caleb snapped.

"Then stop being a fucking hypocrite! Ditch Sarah and we won't have to deal with that risk anymore." I snapped back.

"I'm not the one who got sent a Darkling!"

"Yeah, not this time! Or did you forget what happened last month?" Who was he to talk? After all the shit that happened when he first met that dumb bitch – he was such a fucking hypocrite.

"This is different, Reid, and you know it! I'm not the one with the addiction!"

Addiction, huh? He had a lot of nerve, throwing that word at me. So what if I used the power more than the rest of them? It wasn't going to kill me – not yet at least. I'd cool it after I ascended. In the mean time, he had no right to call me an addict. And now he pissed me off, and I wasn't going to take that shit. My eyes flashed to black and the empty kegs behind Nicky's bar rose into the air and flew at Caleb. This wasn't the first time I'd pulled this move, but I wanted to see if Caleb had learned his lesson sine last time. But apparently Caleb's reflexes had improved. His eyes flashed to black too, and the kegs flew to the side – smashing into the wall.

"You don't get it, Reid! You might not be affected by it now, but once you ascend it's not going to change. You become addicted now, and it's not going to stop. You'll lose control. The power will take over you!"

"I'm _not_ addicted!" I shouted at him, throwing another keg.

"You sure have a funny way of showing it." This time it was Pogue who spoke, and Pogue was usually the one who told Caleb to back off. So much for that.

"Why don't you all just fuck off. I'm not worried about some stupid Darkling. I've got other shit to deal with." I scowled. I knew there was a lot of importance in finding out where the Darkling had come from, but I wasn't about to admit I was wrong. Hell no; not when they were all calling me a fucking addict.

"Reid, come on man." Pogue continued. "It doesn't have to go down like this. We're brothers. We gotta work through this together."

"Leave me _alone_!" My eyes flashed to black, but not before I saw reddish-brown hair out of the corner of my eye. My eyes faded back to normal as I looked sharply right – but she wasn't there. I frowned. Feelings of guilt and disappointment washed over me. I was taking out all this shit on my brothers and avoiding the real problems at hand. I wanted to talk to September, but I couldn't let the guys – or anyone else – see me showing signs of weakness. I hated weakness. I had to get out of there and fast.

"You know what? I'd rather deal with my fuckin' old man than with you bastards. I'm out of here." I turned my back to them, my eyes flashed to black, and before they could even consider stopping me I had jumped to the roof of Nicky's bar and out of sight – just in time for the owner himself to walk out the back door to see what all the yelling was about.

_September's Point of View_

Avoiding Reid Garwin never seemed so easy. I had really taken Tyler's words to heart. I didn't really know Reid, but it was clear that me being around him wasn't doing either of us much good. It was just problem after problem, and it wasn't worth it. Yet I still craved answers, and I found myself spending a lot more time in the library. The library at Spencer Academy was bigger than any library I had ever seen before. Oak bookshelves and stained glass windows lined every wall and crevice. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Besides being gorgeous in architecture, it was incredibly extensive and contained any and every kind of book imaginable.

The Sons of Ipswich, they were called. Charlene explained briefly that the name originated from the founders of the Ipswich colony, so it was in the history section of the library that I began my search. I pulled books on the history of Massachusetts, the biographies of colonial heroes, and all sorts of almanacs. I spent all of my free time in the library. I completed my homework there, then went right back to tearing those books apart in search of answers I wasn't sure even existed. I couldn't shake the tiny thought in the back of my mind that said I was becoming obsessed with a history that may not even be real, but I continued my search. At least it kept me occupied from other things. It was three weeks after Tyler had told me to stay away from Reid that I finally started to find information that could lead me down the right path.

It was such a small book, definitely old with the binding falling apart. The print was smudged in places and it was hard to make out the title on the front cover, but when I opened it to the first page the title was dark and bold – as if the book had been touched only on the outside: **Tales of Ipswich: A Hidden History**. It was by sheer chance that I had even stumbled upon the book. It was stuck to the back of a 1960s edition of an American history textbook. I flipped through it anxiously. Would the answers I so desperately wanted be revealed in this book? My heart began to beat faster as I turned to the table of contents. I scanned the page, my heart speeding up even more as I finally found what I had been looking for: **Chapter 3 – The Founders' Myth, pg. 26**. I turned to the page and felt my heart skip a beat. The page bore an illustration of five men, captioned with their names: Johnathan Putnam, Benjamin Perry, Zacharias Simms, Judah Danvers, and Sebastian Garwin. What surprised me most weren't the matching surnames of the last four listed in the caption, but the illustration itself. The four latter men were almost _identical_ to the Sons of Ipswich currently attending Spencer Academy. I didn't recognize the first man – Putnam – and I figured he wasn't a student at the school, but I wasn't all that concerned with him. I read through the chapter quickly, uncovering the history of the founders of the Ipswich colony in no less than 10 pages. The information I was uncovering was surreal. Could this writing about magic and powers be real?

_No, of course not, _I thought. _I'm looking for answers in some burnt out book written by…_ I turned the pages until I was back to the title page, but I found no author listed. _Okay, this is a bunch of bullshit. I have to get out of here. _I sighed, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. _Time to get back to reality_. Except I didn't like reality; reality meant dealing with the eyes on the back of my head – the eyes that I felt on me almost every time I sat in the library studying this nonsense. At first it had unnerved me, but I was so involved in my research that I just didn't care about who was watching me. After all, I could just as easily have been imagining it.

But I was wrong. I was so terribly wrong. I should have been more cautious. I should have paid attention to the person whose eyes bore into the back of my skull. I didn't let myself worry, and I found out the hard way what the consequences of my lack of guard had done.

**A/N:** That was a lot to write! Can you see why it took me so long to pool it all together? In the mean time, while I finish writing chapter 11:

Who sent the Darkling? Will Reid give in and allow the other Sons to help him uncover the truth? Will he get the chance to talk to September, or has Tyler really prevented all contact between them? And who was keeping such a close eye on September while she poured over the Ipswich history in the library? What are these consequences September's referring to?


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Wrote this up as soon as I could, considering I left you all waiting for chapter 10. Thank you again for all the reviews! I'm glad you like the story and I love hearing your predictions. I hope you'll keep on reading, especially because things are about to get a lot more intense.

**A/N 2:** This chapter contains sexually abusive content not suitable for people under 18 (at least in my opinion). Some of it will be subtle, some of it will be graphic, and it's difficult and disturbing for me to write which makes me think it will be difficult and disturbing for you to read. You have been warned.

**Previously: **

_Reid - _Feelings of guilt and disappointment washed over me. I was taking out all this shit on my brothers and avoiding the real problems at hand. I wanted to talk to September, but I couldn't let the guys – or anyone else – see me showing signs of weakness. I hated weakness. I had to get out of there and fast.

_September_ – I should have paid attention to the person whose eyes bore into the back of my skull. I didn't let myself worry, and I found out the hard way what the consequences of my lack of guard had done.

**Chapter 11: A Sinner's Prayer**

_Reid's P.O.V._

I wanted to confront her. I had tried and tried again to catch her eye after classes were out, but she was quick to ignore me. Finally I decided the only way I'd be able to talk to September was to corner her in her room after hours. She wouldn't be able to pretend I didn't exist; not this time. I knocked on the door, not even sure of what I was going to say to her. "Sorry" didn't seem strong enough to get the point across, not to mention I'd rarely said it in my lifetime. Unfortunately the door remained shut. Was she even in there, or was she ignoring me? I knocked again, but still no answer. Well, this was just unacceptable. My eyes flashed black and the door opened. At first I thought the room was empty. Then I noticed the lamps that lit September's room 24/7 weren't on. The room was lit only by the light from the hallway coming through the open door behind me. I could see the light bulbs, shattered and broken on the floor. Something was _very_ wrong here. I walked further into the room and I could hear the faint sound of running water from behind the door of the half-bath. I approached it cautiously and pressed my ear to it – the only sound was the water. I knocked, "Keaton?"

When there was no answer, I pulled open the door and walked inside. It was very small and cast into darkness. I flipped the light switch and saw the sink tap was on. I turned the handle and the water stopped flowing. The door closed behind me and through the mirror I saw September sitting on the floor. I whipped around, taken aback by the sudden appearance of her. She was white as a ghost, her auburn hair covering half her face, and her clothes were ripped in odd places. Her grey skirt was torn along the side and the sleeves on her white button-down shirt were almost completely torn off. Buttons were missing from her top, clear by the threads sticking out where the shirt ought to have been closed shut. She wasn't moving, and I wondered if maybe she had passed out there. It was the most terrifying sight, but I kept my cool. I knelt down beside her and I could see her eyes, staring glossy green at the opposing wall through her messy bangs. I half-wondered if she was sleeping with her eyes open, or if she was in some kind of trance, so I reached out a hand to tap her shoulder. Before I even made contact she whispered harshly, "_Don't touch me._"

My hand fell to my side and I looked at the floor. There was water, I suspected from the sink, and spots of red. Was that…? My eyes traveled from September's bare feet, along her legs – where her knees were black and blue – and up her torso and arms, also laden with bruises, until my gaze reached her face. I could see trickles of blood going from her the side of her head and down her neck. The red spots on the floor must have been caused by the gashes staining her auburn hair.

"What happened?" I was surprised to hear my voice come out as a whisper. It was such an intimidating sight. I had never seen a more broken person than the girl sitting in front of me. Even the last time I had found September Keaton messed up, she wasn't nearly this bad off. This was something else entirely. It was terrible. Her glossy eyes looked up and stared into mine. It killed me to see the damage so clearly behind them. They were so void of emotion. She was the shell of the girl who had tried to stop me from screwing up my life only a month before.

"I fell."

"You fell?" That didn't sound too truthful.

"I was changing the light bulb and I fell." Her voice was monotone. It scared me even more than her appearance, yet that fear gave me strength to return to my normal volume. I had to be strong if I was going to get through this ordeal.

"Okay, how 'bout you tell me what _really_ happened?"

"It ain't none of your damn business if I fell or not! Why don't you just hook up with some random girl and leave me alone? I don't want anything to do with you. I hate you!" Her sudden outburst brought more life into her eyes. Her face was twisted in misplaced rage.

"Did you hear me, Reid Garwin? _I hate you_! Get the hell outta my room! I don't ever want to see your face again!"

I was now very much aware of the West Philadelphia in her. Her accent was more pronounced when she was angry. Not only that, but her entire demeanor had changed so suddenly. The prep school popular chick I had been avoiding for so long was now… Well, different. She was harsh and cold and mean, and there was no doubt in my mind that she was from another world than what I had grown up in. Stereotypes aside, she was everything this school wasn't. Why was I only noticing this now, in her fit of rage?

"Keaton, I— You know what? Fine. Go ahead and hate me. It won't change anything." I stood up and tore my gaze away from hers. I didn't know what happened to her, and she sure as hell wasn't intending on telling me any time soon, but if this was what would help her, then I'd let her hate me. It's not like I hadn't done that to people before. I hated plenty of innocent people because I didn't want to handle the real problems, not like I ever told anyone that – not even Tyler. I didn't know what had happened to September. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Ideas were swirling around inside my head – possible scenarios of what had taken place in that dorm room. But there were some things better left unsaid.

_September's P.O.V._

My fear of the dark began when I was thirteen-years-old. I was in seventh grade at Roosevelt Middle School. I had a couple of good friends – enough that I managed to have a decent sized Bat Mitzvah after six years of Hebrew School. That was when I started saving up for my secondary education at Spencer Academy – though my parents had started the fund without me knowing. It never occurred to me that good ol' mom and dad might want to ditch me at a boarding school. I knew they were frustrated by my frequent detentions, but I couldn't help it. I attracted trouble at school.

Well, no. That was a lie. I went out of my way to cause trouble at school. I don't know what made me do it. I wasn't looking for attention. I was just sick of being the good child for so long. My brother Xander had autism and needed to go to a special school in the county next to ours. When he was home he had a lot of outbursts and tantrums. I was the only person in the house who could handle him and get him calm. My parents didn't understand Xander – but that was because they focused on the disorder rather than their child. He was two and a half years older than me, but he was my younger brother in every other sense. I did my best to take care of him when he was home from school, and I also did my best to keep up my grades and stay out of trouble so I could be home in time for "my shift" to start. But when Xander turned 16, my parents couldn't deal with him anymore. His behavior was getting worse. He wasn't functioning as well. Mom and dad thought he was regressing. I thought it was the change from childhood to adolescence. He was delayed because of his autism. My parents treated him like a freak. They sent him away to a psychiatric facility that was better equipped to handle people with autism and other disorders.

Xander was my best friend. I often referred to him as "my favorite person" because there was no one in the world I cared about as much as him. He was what kept me sane when my parents were fighting over how to take care of two kids – one messed up and one normal. Without him, there was no one for mom and dad to compare me to. It was my turn to fight back. I wasn't going to be normal. There was no more good child, bad child. There could only be one.

I started small, with simple things like smoking in the bathroom at school and writing profanities on the bathroom stalls. Cheating on tests was easy, and I was caught a ton of times with all the damage. But I didn't care. This narrow-minded society had taken away my brother, and I wasn't going to take that lying down. I moved up to things beyond school. I shoplifted bubblegum and chocolate bars from the local pharmacy. Five-finger discounts became my specialty. I was soon stealing more than little snacks. I snagged CDs, DVDs, headphones, and whatever else I could fit in my Batman messenger bag – an item I had shoplifted from the Hot Topic at the West Philly mall.

It was at the West Philly mall that I met Jace. He was a local street punk with jet-black hair and an eyebrow piercing. He was 17, I was 13, but he was everything my parents hated. What else could I do? I lied to him – told him I was sixteen. I don't know if he believed me or not, but we started dating regardless. We had a lot in common – we both liked to make our own discounts and we both thoroughly enjoyed damaging public property. My parents kept true to their simple-minded views on what society should be. They couldn't stand Jace. They demanded I stop seeing him. I refused. I spewed out all sorts of lies about how far Jace and I had gone, about how we were going to run away together and never look back. Mom and dad hated it. They tried again and again to stop me from seeing him. It only made me want to spend more time with him. I told Jace all about it, of course, and he laughed with me and reveled in my lies.

And then one day, after we'd been together for two months, Jace proposed the idea that we should turn some of my lies into the truth. He said we should take our relationship to the next level. He was so much older than me, but he didn't know that – or at least, I thought he didn't. I wanted him to like me. I wanted him to help me keep my parents miserable. I told him we should do it.

He took me to his sister's apartment after sneaking me out of my house in the middle of the night. He told me she was out of town, visiting her boyfriend at college. We escaped into complete darkness and when we entered the apartment, I flipped the light on. Jace turned it off.

"It's better in the dark," He said as he led me to what I presumed to be the bedroom. He pushed me back onto the bed and began kissing me roughly. It hurt, and his words kept repeating in my head, _it's better in the dark, it's better in the dark, it's better in the dark._ I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I was excited. I was scared. He tore off my shirt without warning. It ripped and the fabric burned as it was pulled hard off my body. Jace was kissing my jaw, my neck, my collar. I wasn't sure I could do this.

"Jace, stop. I changed my mind." I said, pushing him off me. It didn't matter. He yanked off my jeans, and I suddenly wished I had worn skinny jeans instead of these baggy army print pants. They would have been harder to get off.

"Jace, stop!" I tried pushing him off again, but he pinned me down. I could barely make out his figure in the dark, but I could see enough. He was taking off his shirt, then sliding off his cargo pants. He wasn't going to stop. My eyes stung with tears, and I couldn't make a sound as he forced himself on me. I was so terrified. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could only lay there and let him assault me.

He kept at it for a long time. Or maybe it wasn't that long. Fear was the only thing I could feel – I had no sense of time. Eventually he stopped his thrusts. I felt him shudder on top of me, and then he collapsed, breathing heavily. He kissed me roughly, and it suddenly dawned on me that there was a word to describe what had just happened. I was raped. Jace drove me home the next morning before my parents were awake. I told them I didn't feel well and that I wouldn't be able to go to school. In fact, I didn't return to school for three weeks. My parents didn't know what happened that night. I had no intention of telling them about it. Jace dumped me over the phone a few days after the night I spent with him. He had found a girl who was willing to put out more than I was. I didn't know if he knew what he had done to me, but aside from "hello?" I didn't speak a word to him on the phone. I hung up and had my dad install a sound sensitive light next to my bed, so that should I wake up and find myself encased by darkness I could just clap my hands and the light would turn on. I didn't want to be in the dark. The dark was where I had lost everything.

Eventually I did have to go back to school. I stopped talking to my friends. I spent my lunch period in the bathroom, my study hall in the courtyard smoking cigarettes, and my grades were slipping from Bs and Cs to Fs. The dean threw me into counseling. I wouldn't tell the school social worker what happened to me, but even without giving her any details she was able to give me some pretty decent advice. I learned coping skills that helped me get back into the swing of things. I was still failing most subjects, but it was more due to lack of sleep. I kept having nightmares. That terrible night kept replaying in my head. I tried to forget about it. I tried so hard, but it wouldn't disappear. It took three and a half years for me to bring my grades up enough for me to get accepted into Spencer Academy. In that time my parents had been setting aside money to put towards tuition without my knowledge. I was a messed up kid. They wanted me out, just like they wanted Xander out. It was by chance that my dad's job was relocated to Ipswich, where Spencer Academy was located, but it made it a hell of a lot easier for me to get accepted into the school. Tuition was cheaper for in-state students.

That was how I ended up here. For the first time in three and a half years I had friends. For the first time in three and a half years I was able to have a clean slate. Maybe I would finally be able to put that nightmare to rest. Even with the fresh start, I wasn't sure I'd be able to ever trust a boy again. Reid was the first guy I let touch me after Jace – and all he did was carry me to his car before I passed out. Still, there was something about the way he treated me that made me think I might actually be able to trust him. I was so afraid I'd be hurt again. I couldn't survive it a second time. But Reid left me alone, and I left him alone, and I was okay with that. I didn't have to deal with the one boy I was tempted to trust, and that was fine by me. I was putting myself at risk if I let myself be close to him.

But he had taken care of me. I couldn't forget that. He had acted as my protector when my nyctophobia caught up to me, and I was so incredibly grateful for that. I tried to repay him – that backfired. I went back to avoiding him, on his best friend's request. It was better for him. It was better for me. I studied him from afar, occupying myself in the library and keeping out of sight. It was working out fine until my research had ended.

I stayed in my room for days. Or had any time passed at all? It was completely encompassed by my greatest fear. But it didn't matter now. I felt nothing. I felt numb. I kept the curtains shut. I didn't want anyone passing by to have any remote chance of seeing me. I wasn't in any condition for people to see me. I was dirty, horrible, unworthy. I didn't even want to look at myself, so I broke the mirror in my bathroom and the mirror above my dresser. The rest of my time was spent sitting on the floor, in the corner opposite my bed. It was the furthest point from where past had repeated itself. Reid had returned, almost as if on cue, and he tried to help me again. I couldn't let him see me like this – not when I was covered in the filth of my past. It was too late for help. I had lived through this once. I prayed I'd never have to live through it again. But I had lived through it for a second time. Why couldn't he have killed me after? Why did he make me suffer through this, and continue to suffer in the aftermath? If I wasn't such a coward, I'd have done it myself. But I'm weak. I hate the weak.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** First and foremost, I want to thank Marguerite for reviewing basically every chapter of my story so far. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading this, and I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I know apologies don't mean much; a girl I really care about has had that experience more than once. I took a lot of inspiration from her, and I hope that last chapter will shed some light on a sensitive subject.

And thank you to everyone else who has been following and reviewing! I hope you'll keep reading and keep reviewing. Your words give me ideas and inspiration to continue with the story.

**Brief Recap:** Reid found September hiding in the dark of her dorm room. Her clothes were shredded, her head was bleeding, and her body was bruised. She told Reid she hated him, that she never wanted to see him again, and he left her there. If she wasn't going to tell him what happened, there wasn't anything he could do about it. September reveals in her point of view, though not to Reid, that she was raped at 13, and raped again just hours before Reid found her on the floor of her bathroom.

**Chapter 12: Only Human**

"I told you everything already." I groaned, throwing myself back on the bed.

"My phone rang, I went to grab it off the passenger seat, and there was a Darkling. I slammed the brakes, the truck flipped. That's it." It was late at night and my bedroom at home was empty save for me, lying on my bed in grey sweatpants and talking on my cell phone.

"What did it look like?" Caleb's voice asked through the phone. "Did it take the shape of someone you know?"

"I don't know, not really. Maybe. I can't remember."

"Come on, Reid. Be serious."

"I am being serious! I don't know if you remember, but when the Hummer flipped overI was pretty busted up. Sue me for not remembering every fucking detail of that day." This was exactly why I didn't want to talk to Caleb about this shit. He asked questions I didn't have answers for.

"Alright, fine." Caleb sighed. "Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet. But don't start lecturing me about that too."

"Yeah. Okay. Get some sleep. We'll talk later." I heard the click of him hanging up and tossed my cell phone on the side table. I turned over onto my stomach and buried my head under the satin pillows. My eyes flashed to black and the lights in the room turned off. As I lay in the darkness, I couldn't shake the images of September Keaton sitting on the floor in the bathroom, covered in blood and bruises, from my head. I felt like there must've something I could've done to help.

"_Fuck!_" I swore loudly and jumped out of bed. "Awe shit. Shit, shit, shit!"

What was I thinking? I found a girl _covered in injuries_ and just left her there! What the _fuck_ was I thinking? I should've called the cops. I should've brought her to the hospital. Oh, fuck! I just left her there. She could've had internal injuries. What if she had broken bones? What if she couldn't walk? Shit! How could I be so stupid? So much for getting sleep. I pulled on a shirt, grabbed my shoes, and bolted out the door. If I left September like that and she was worse off than I thought, it was on me. Caleb was right. _I can't believe I'm so fucking irresponsible. Her sitting on the floor more damaged than I'd ever seen. Her yelling at me to leave her alone, to never talk to her again. And I left. I fucking left! God, how could I have been so stupid? I should've called fucking 911._

What should have been a 30 minute drive turned into a 10 minute chase as I took advantage of my power to gain speed. I pulled into the Spencer parking lot and scrambled up the stairs to the third floor of the dormitory. I skidded to a halt outside room 312 and took a half second to catch my breath before knocking vigorously on the door. I could hear movement just beyond it and continued knocking.

"I know you're in there, Keaton. Open the door."

"Get lost Reid!" She shouted back at me.

"Open the fucking door, September, or I'll break it down!" I don't know what made me yell at her like that: the anger that she wouldn't let me in, or the fear that she didn't want me to see the extent of her damage.

"Like hell you will! Go away! I already told you I never want to see your fucking face again!"

"We'll see about that!" And before I could gain any control of my temper my eyes had flashed to black and I pulled the door right off its hinges. I stormed into the room, my eyes resting on September who was sitting on the floor, a pillow behind her back and a blanket covering her lap.

"What the hell are you doing on the floor?" I had stopped yelling. She hadn't.

"Get the fuck out! How dare you break my door! I don't want you in here!"

"Will you calm down? For Christ's sake! I just wanted to make sure you're not dead or anything." I snapped back. "Evidently you're not."

"I'm _fine_." Her voice was intensely cold and quiet. "Now _get out_."

"You're not fine. You look like shit. You still have blood in your hair. And what the hell? Are you sleeping on the floor? Jesus Christ, Keaton! Whatever the hell happened to you isn't worth this goddamn mess."

The glare September gave me was enough to make my blood run cold, but somehow I managed to keep my composure. For then, at least.

"Fuck you! You ain't got a clue about me or what I've been through. Get the fuck outta my room and never come back."

"No." I replied firmly, my eyes locked on hers. "I'm taking you to the hospital. You could have a concussion or something."

"I don't need a stupid hospital."

"Then I'm taking you to my place. There's no way in hell you're staying here." I snapped. She only glared at me in return, and as soon as she opened her mouth to retort I started talking louder.

"Listen, I get it. You got beat, you're scared shitless, and you don't want anyone anywhere near you. But I'm getting you out of here whether you're willing or not."

"Oh yeah? And how do you expect to get me to leave with you?" She sneered.

"If you don't come with me right now I'll fucking call 911 and an ambulance will take you to the hospital." That seemed to do the trick. She stared at me with narrow eyes, and I knew she was wondering if I was really serious.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." I pulled out my cell phone. "I'll fucking call right now if you don't get your ass off the floor and come with me."

She glared at me with intense ferocity, then stood up – letting the blanket fall to the floor. The bruises and cuts from the day before were darker and uglier than ever. I grimaced at the sight, an expression she clearly noticed in the way she crossed her left, more bruised leg behind the right.

"Staring ain't polite."

"Well excuse my poor manners. You need to bring anything with you? Change of clothes, toothbrush, whatever?" She didn't answer me, only grabbed her overnight bag off the dresser and began stuffing clothes and other things at random into it. When she was done she stood in the corner where I had found her upon walking in. We stared at each other until I finally looked away to fish my keys out of my pocket. She barely brushed me as she passed, but when I looked up the room was empty and September was standing in the dimly lit hallway, in the process of pulling a grey hoodie over her head.

**Author's Note2: **Do you think Reid is doing the right thing, or should he bring her to the hospital? How much longer can this spite-filled, twisted sort of friendship continue? Are they ever going to come to an understanding? And who sent Reid the Darkling? More importantly, where the hell is this story going?

I know you'll probably hate me for this, but I already wrote the ending and that's quite a long ways off. Now it's just a matter of writing the inbetween. More updates coming soon! Christmas break will give me more time to work on this.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** I know it's been forever, and I apologize profusely. It was next to impossible for me to find time to work on this. Again, thank you all for the reviews. They give me such inspiration to write. S.K. Steven, I didn't even realize the similarity between Jace and Chase! I may or may not incorporate that into the story. We'll see…

**Last Seen: **Once again, Reid has come to September's rescue. Well, sort of. He blackmailed her into coming home with him where she could get the proper care after her assault. Nonetheless, he's trying to do the right thing.

**Warning: **Lots of mature language in this chapter, lots of angst attached to it.

**Chapter 13: Hell In A Bucket**

_September's P.O.V._

I hate him. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? I don't want anyone to see me. I'm disgusting. I hate him. He put me in the spotlight. He forced me to be seen. God, I hate him so much. But fuck, what choice did I have? One person could see me, or a dozen nurses and doctors and onlookers who can't mind their own fucking business at a hospital that can't help me could see me. No one could help me. For whatever reason, Reid seemed to think he was actually capable of the impossible, and he wasn't going to just let me be. This was fucking blackmail.

I didn't have a choice. I went with him, and even the purr of his Porsche wasn't a comfort to me as it had been before. I stared out the window and watched as the scenery darkened and rain slowly began to fall. I could see my reflection in the window – I really did look awful. The cut on the side of my head was clearly visible, my eyes were red and puffy, and my lower lip was purpled and swollen. I could only imagine what the rest of my body looked like – I had been afraid to look at myself. I wondered what was going on in Reid's mind then. Was he theorizing what might've happened to me? Why did he keep busting into my life uninvited and unwelcomed? More importantly, why was I having such a hard time hating him? I turned my gaze to the dashboard, unable to look at my tainted reflection any longer.

"I'll set you up in the guest room." Reid broke the silence, causing me to jump.

"You can get cleaned up and I'll dig up the first aid kid."

"Whatever." I mumbled. First aid wasn't going to help me.

It felt like an eternity later when Reid pulled into the long driveway surrounded by beautiful gardens that I barely noticed. My mind was blank, my body numb, and I felt like my heart was barely beating. I wished it wasn't. He parked the Panamera and the lights on the outside of the mansion lit up automatically. I was too deadened inside to feel frightened of the dark anymore. The walk from the car to the steps leading up to the backdoor seemed to go on forever, but soon enough Reid was unlocking the door and ushering me inside. He was careful not to touch me, which I was grateful for. Maybe Reid had some crazy delusion he could help, but he at least knew I was broken. He tried not to look at me, but I saw him glance at my face and my body and the look of repulsion in his eyes was well deserved. I was contaminated, I was dirty, but most of all I was glad he didn't touch me. I didn't want him to take care of me – to look at me. I just wanted to be left alone.

We got inside and he led me upstairs, leaving me to my own devices outside the bathroom door.

"There are clean towels, new box of soap, whatever else you might need is in there. I'll put your bag in the guest room. It's right next to mine, down the hall on the left. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll leave whatever first aid stuff I can find on the bed." Reid said, pulling his black beanie off, leaving his blonde hair messy.

"Yeah. Okay." I replied lamely, opening the bathroom door and walking inside. Once again I was surprised by the vast size and design of the room, and it was _just_ a bathroom. I turned on the shower, letting it heat up as I stripped off my sweatshirt, long sleeved shirt and pajama shorts. I took the hair tie out of my knotted, dirty auburn hair and looked in the mirror for the first time in two days. I looked almost as awful as I felt with red scratches and bruises everywhere, my eyes red with tiredness, and my skin pale and grey and sickly.

I stepped into the shower, pulling the glass door closed and watching the steam fog it up. The water was scalding hot and burned on my sensitive skin, but it felt _so good_ on my aching muscles and bruises. I never wanted to leave it. I opened the box of soap sitting on the shelf attached to the wall and began scrubbing my arms, legs, chest, neck, and every other part of my body with such brutal force I thought I might make more bruises. I knew no amount of washing could rid my body of the feeling of dirt I felt. Nothing would ever get rid of that. I'd held that feeling since I was 13-years-old. I had pushed it aside for four years, but now it had doubled with that bastard three nights ago. I would never be clean. Not now, not ever. And I knew that.

I stayed in that shower for over an hour, and the water never went cold like it did at home. But I was tired and my skin was wrinkled like a prune, so I reluctantly turned the shower off and pulled open the glass door. Steam filled the bathroom as I wrapped my body in towels – one around my waist, another around my chest, one over my shoulders and a fourth in my hair. I wanted to cover as much of myself as I could. I didn't want Reid to see me like this.

I gathered up my clothes, opened the bathroom door just an inch and peered out. Reid wasn't in the hallway. I pulled the door open all the way and scurried down the hall and into the room on the left, next to the door I remembered as Reid's. My bag was on the bed, alongside a pile of ace bandages, gauze, rubbing alcohol, band-ids and assorted antibiotic creams. I dropped my clothes beside my bag, then looked around the room. The bed was a queen size, covered in various shades of green. On one wall was a door I assumed was a closet and dresser, topped with a flat screen TV and cable box. On the opposite wall was a full length mirror and a table lined with tissues, a brand new tooth brush, unopened toothpaste, a hairbrush still in its packaging and an extra blanket folded to perfection. It was like a five star hotel, if I'd ever seen one.

I walked slowly toward the mirror, my heart sinking as my reflection stared back at me. I was cut, I was bruised, and I was mangled. I was disgusting. I was tainted – _polluted_. I touched the hand-shaped bruises on my neck and shoulder. My hand traveled down my left harm, which was marked with red scars that were only just beginning to fade. My other hand traveled to my bust, which was also bruised. A long red cut was still visible atop my right breast, where my attacker had held a knife to me. I shivered at the memory. God, how I wished I could forget. But the images of that night were burned into my mind forevermore. I looked at my stomach and pelvis, which were also bruised. My legs weren't any better. I walked backwards toward the bed, watching my reflection fade further away. When I felt my legs hit the satin comforter, I sat down. I picked up the antibiotic cream and began applying it to every cut and bruise on my body. I then stuck a thick piece of gauze over the cut on my chest and wrapped my bust with ace bandage to hold it in place. I hadn't realized how much it stung until it was secure and the pain had lifted. I did the same for the more prominent, darker bruises on my body, save for my neck. The hand-shaped marks wouldn't be covered. They were at too awkward of an angle, and if I tried to wrap them I wouldn't be able to turn my head.

After I had wrapped and bandaged everything I could reach on my own, I opened my duffle bag and pulled out my clothes. Dark grey oversized sweatpants with the words "Philadelphia Eagles" printed on the left leg and an extra large white long sleeve shirt labeled "Sixers" were the only clothes I brought aside from a change of undergarments. I pulled each article of clothing on, wincing in pain with every move I made. My muscles were so sore and my body could barely handle the pressure from anxiety weighing on my chest.

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door. "Keaton, you decent?"

Of course it was Reid. I took a breath of relief. "Yeah."

He opened the door and entered the room. He had changed into a pair of red plaid pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt. For whatever reason, he still wore his black fingerless gloves. I guess it was his trademark, but until that moment I hadn't realized he wore them everyday. Now it suddenly seemed so obvious.

"You look…better." He said somewhat lamely.

"No I don't."

"Okay, fine. You still look like shit, but you look less shitty than you did two hours ago." Reid rolled his eyes. "Are you hungry?"

I hadn't thought about that. My last meal was dinner three nights ago. I felt empty and pain in my stomach, but I wasn't sure I could stomach any food right now.

"No." I replied simply.

"Okay, well if you get hungry you know where the kitchen is. Feel free to help yourself anytime. I told the butler, Jamison, and housekeeper, Mary, not to bother you, except to stop you from leaving the house without me."

I scowled. "You have _servants_? And you told them to help you keep me locked up here?"

He rolled his eyes again. "They're not servants. They get paid more than minimum wage and they don't have to wait on my every hand and food. Listen, I don't know what happened to you, and you don't even have to tell me, but its obvious someone attacked you. You look and exhausted and need a break from campus. You really should have a doctor check you out, and I can call the family doctor if you want, but I can't make you talk to her."

I didn't say anything – just stared at him blankly – so he continued talking.

"But if you want to talk to her, or to me, or to anyone else, I'll help you. There's a landline on the table," he gestured to the table next to the mirror, "if you need to call anyone. It's a private number separate from the rest of the house, so you don't have to worry about being overheard or something."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Of course I wasn't stupid enough to use a landline phone, private line or not. Not like there was anyone I wanted to call anyway. Not my friends, not my family, not anybody. No one else needed to be involved.

"Right. So… I'll leave you to it then. If you need me, I'll be right next-door." He paused there, waiting to see if I would respond. I didn't, and he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I tossed my duffle onto the floor, along with my clothes and the rest of the first aid supplies. I'd pick it up in the morning and put it away nicer, but for now I just wanted to sleep. Being out of the dorm, in this house that had served as my refuge once before, felt almost safe. I felt like I might actually be able to sleep through the night for the first time since my assault. I crawled beneath the silky covers and laid my head on the fluffy white pillows. It was comforting and soft, and the coolness of the satin material felt soothing against my aching skin. Within minutes I was out like a light.

I didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps in the room. But I dreamt of a blonde boy coming in and placing a cold cloth against my hot forehead and turning out the light, leaving a nightlight plugged into the wall. He exited my dream, and no nightmares invaded my subconscious mind as I slept.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** All right, so, I'm trying to catch up in writing where my imagination has already been. My apologies for the major delay. Let's see how it goes.

**Last Seen [from September's point of view]: **_I didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps in the room. But I dreamt of a blonde boy coming in and placing a cold cloth against my hot forehead and turning out the light, leaving a nightlight plugged into the wall. He exited my dream, and no nightmares invaded my subconscious mind as I slept._

**Chapter 14: In Keeping Secrets**

_[Reid's P.O.V.]_

I really hoped September would be willing to see a doctor. She looked so awful; so much damage had been done. I tried not to think of the possible causes for her injuries, but as I turned off the light and exited the guest room all these terrible images started to flood my imagination.

It could have been someone breaking and entering, not realizing she was in her room at the time. Maybe someone held a grudge against her for something – but what? She'd only been at Spencer for 2 months. Or what if she was telling the truth? That the injuries were her own doing because she wasn't being careful. But that couldn't be it. Hand shaped bruises don't appear because someone fell down while changing a light bulb. My mind was racing with all the possible scenarios. I sat down on my bed and held my head in my hands. What was it? What was the truth? How could I help her without knowing what was wrong?

And then the last – and worst – scenario flashed behind my eyes. _Hand shaped bruises on her neck and legs. Torn clothing. Blood. Someone had held her down. Someone had ripped her clothes at her chest and skirt. She must have struggled because he slammed her head, causing bleeding and bruises. _I felt sick. I didn't want it to be true. But all the signs pointed there. I would hunt him down – whoever he was – and I would destroy him. The kind of person who could be so sick, so cruel, so _inhuman_ didn't deserve to live. I would find him. I would cause him as much pain as September felt – more than she felt. I would make him suffer a slow, excruciating death. Whoever he was, he was going to burn in hell.

There was no way I was going to sleep now. I pulled my cell phone from my sweatshirt pocket and scrolled through the contacts, finally landing on the letter T. I didn't know if he would answer if I called. Baby Boy had been distant ever since his first visit to me in the hospital after I crashed his Hummer six and a half weeks ago. But I had to try anyway, so I hit send. It felt like the phone rang for an eternity before Tyler's tired voice finally spoke, "Wha'ssup Reid?"

"I need to find out who sent that Darkling." I could hear Tyler yawning on the other end.

"It's about time you asked for help, but it's kind of 2 in the morning. Can't this wait till normal daylight hours?"

"It can't wait. I gotta find out. The sooner the better. Call Caleb and Pogue and meet me at my place."

"Why can't we meet at the barn?"

"I'll explain later. I can't leave my house right now. Just get here as soon as you can. I've got a score to settle."

"Yeah. All right, yeah. I'll call the others. We'll be there soon." I heard the phone click. I knew Caleb and Pogue wouldn't be too thrilled with being dragged out of bed at this hour, but I really couldn't wait. I could feel it in my bones. There was a connection between the Darkling and September's assault. I just knew it. I waited down in the kitchen, tapping my foot anxiously as the clock on the wall ticked by slowly. About half an hour later Tyler, Caleb and Pogue walked through the back door of the kitchen. Caleb was holding a cup of coffee, Pogue looked like he was half-asleep, and Tyler seemed to be the only one who as really awake.

"So," Caleb yawned, "why aren't we meeting at the barn?"

"I have a, uh." I glanced at Tyler. "A houseguest. My dad is away on business and I don't want to leave her here alone."

"It's not Keaton, is it?" Tyler's eyes narrowed.

"As a matter of fact, it is. And before you say anything, she didn't ask to come here. I offered. She needs my help."

"Reid… Is someone targeting her? Did you tell her about the Covenant?" Caleb asked, putting his cup of coffee on the counter.

"Who are you to judge? You fucking told Sarah everything and you barely know her." I snapped back. "But I'm not stupid. I didn't tell September about us. I didn't break the pact like you did."

"Sarah was in danger! She had to know what was going on." Caleb retorted.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"Forget about them for now." Pogue yawned. "Let's just focus on the Darkling and whoever sent it."

"Yeah. Alright." I mumbled and led the way into the den, where I had set up our circle and candles. A copy of the Book of Damnation sat in the middle of the Pentagram drawn in chalk on the floor. I sat down in my spot in the circle while the others took their seats.

"Okay, Reid. Tell us everything that happened when the Darkling appeared." Caleb said.

I closed my eyes, racking my brain for the increasingly fuzzy memory of what happened that afternoon six weeks ago. There were parts of it I could remember clearly, and parts that were blank. The doctors had said that could happen when I was still in the hospital – that I had hit my head pretty hard in the crash and it'd make things hard to remember.

"Okay. You and I were fighting, and September pulled me away from the situation. We went up to her room and talked for a while. I didn't tell her about the Covenant. I got frustrated with her and flipped out. I Used in front of her, but I don't think she noticed." Tyler shook his head at this point, looking disappointed. That just made me feel worse.

"I left, and that's when I took the Hummer. I thought going for a drive would help me chill out. But I kept Using. The truck went faster and faster and then my cell phone rang. I went to grab it off the passenger seat and that's when the Darkling appeared. I never saw one before, and I panicked. I hit the brakes and the truck went flying. It landed upside down. There was blood and glass everywhere… And then I blacked out. I woke up two days later in the hospital."

"Keaton told me about the fight." Tyler admitted reluctantly. "I told her to back off and leave you alone."

"So you're the reason she was avoiding me." Now it was my turn to look disappointed. "Real nice, Ty."

"I only did what I thought was best for you." Tyler defended. "You're self-destructive, Reid, and she wasn't making it any better. She set you off, and look what happened! You ended up in the hospital for a week."

"Well thanks to your little warning to her she's upstairs recovering from god-knows-what and she's seriously fucked up!" Shit. I said too much.

"Reid, what aren't you telling us?" It was Pogue who spoke this time.

"Forget it." I mumbled, staring down at my gloved hands.

"No way, man." Pogue shook his head.

"What's going on with you and that chick? 'Cause you know what happened with Sarah and Kate when Chase surfaced. You gotta keep in mind that the Darkling and whatever is going on with you and her might have a connection."

I buried my face in my hands. I already knew what he was telling me. Did he think I was stupid? But I couldn't explain anything about September and me. Ever since that night at the bonfire, I felt… Compelled to protect her, I guess. We had some kind of bond, but I couldn't explain it.

"Look, no matter what is going on with you and Keaton, we have to get to the source of the Darkling." Caleb broke the tension, for once.

"Let's cover the basics first. The members of the Covenant are our families, tracing back to the colonization of Ipswich. The missing family had been Chase, and we can only assume he's dead because his body was never recovered from the fire."

"Do you think it might be him?" Tyler asked. "If nobody found his body, it's possible he's _not _dead."

"I don't want that to be the case, but I don't think we have any other choice." Caleb sighed.

"And we're sure there are no other families like ours, outside of Ipswich?" Tyler pressed on.

"The Book of Damnation didn't record the beginning of the Power, but it said those who mastered it had always been hunted." I said. Caleb, Pogue and Tyler all looked at me surprised. What, did they think I never paid attention?

"That's true. It listed our families as those among the ones who escaped Europe's Witch Trials by coming here, but it didn't say it was us exclusively." Caleb nodded.

"Then there might be more, that we don't know about. What we know for sure is that Chase might still be alive, and we always thought the Putnam line had died out centuries ago. But we have to find out about the rest." I said. Again, they looked surprised. Did they think I was an idiot or something? But I was too concerned for the girl upstairs to be annoyed with my so-called brothers.

"How can we do that if the only confirmed names are ours?" Pogue spoke.

"Gorman." Caleb replied simply. I nodded in agreement. If anyone would have answers about our history, it would be Gorman.

**Author's Note:**Will September accept further help from Reid? Are the boys right in thinking there's a connection between September's assault and the Darkling that was sent to him? Will Gorman have the answers they seek? Review and let me know what you think will happen next! I love to hear what you all have to say. Chapter 15 will be coming soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** I have been dying to update this for so so long. Work has been crazy and my kids are driving me up the wall with spring fever, but at long last here it is. Chapter 15. My sincerest apologies for the silence and waiting some of you may have endured these last few months. I hope you like it. Read and review, por favor!

**Last Seen [Reid's POV]:** _I buried my face in my hands. I already knew what he was telling me. Did he think I was stupid? But I couldn't explain anything about September and me. Ever since that night at the bonfire, I felt… Compelled to protect her, I guess. We had some kind of bond, but I couldn't explain it._

"_Look, no matter what is going on with you and Keaton, we have to get to the source of the Darkling." Caleb said._

**Chapter 15: Falling Away From Me**

_[September's POV]_

Even though I fell asleep so easily, I found it hard to stay asleep. When I was a kid I was such a heavy sleeper – even the smoke alarm in my bedroom couldn't wake me up when I was 11-years-old. But after Jace, sleep became harder and harder to get. After a year and a half of sleep deprivation, I found new ways to cope with the nightmares that plagued my dreams and my waking hours. When I burned myself, I could focus on the physical pain and push the horrible memories of my trauma out of my mind, even if it was just for a short while. When I burned myself, I could fall asleep to the physical pain. I stopped burning myself when I turned 16. My physician gave me Ambien and that knocked me out for hours. When I came to Spencer, I brought the pills with me. I brought my small collection of lighters, too – just in case.

I woke up again and again throughout the night. The sound of my own screams prevented me from sleeping for more than an hour at a time. My dreams were plagued with the faces of those I so desperately wanted to forget. Memories of Jace and the hurt he had caused me, the pain my parents caused when they ripped my brother away from me, and most recently: that bastard son of a whore who defied me even more. After the fourth or fifth time of waking up in the semi-darkness I decided it wasn't worth it to try sleeping on my own anymore. But tonight I didn't have one of those brilliant knock-out pills. I hadn't thought to pack them. What I did have was a lighter. It was on reflex that I would take one with me everywhere I went.

I crawled out from under the covers and crept quietly to my duffle bag. I unzipped it and dug around until I found the mini purple disposable Bic I was looking for. I flicked it on a few times to make sure there was still fluid in it. The flame lit perfectly. It was a beautiful sight, the red and orange light flickering like that. I reached into my bag again and pulled out an old barrette. It was a turquoise shade with black and white streaks waving through it, giving it that tie-dye look. My brother gave it to me when I was 10-years-old. I momentarily wondered what he'd think of he knew what I was using it for now, seven years later, as I rolled my sleeves up. I pressed the tiny buttons on the metal side and it fell open, leaving a curve where my hair ought to slide in when I put the barrette on. But I wasn't using this as an accessory – not in that way, at least. I lit up my flammable escape again and waved it slowly under the metal side of the barrette. I could feel the heat radiating off the silver-plated copper. After 20 seconds or so, I let go of the lighter and held the barrette to my forearm. It stung and it burned and the pain flashed white behind my eyes and I loved it. It was such a rush. It wiped every bad memory from my mind, if only for a few seconds. I heated it again, and held the barrette to another clear patch on my arm, and burned it. The wounds were white and pink, fresh burns that would scar later if I didn't cool them off now. But I didn't care about scars. I had plenty of them to last a lifetime; what was the point in preventing more now? After burning myself a few more times, I felt the physical pain completely take me over. I fell back onto the bed and only just managed to pull the covers over myself as I passed out from painful exhaustion.

I woke up at nightfall the next day. I looked at the clock and saw that I'd been asleep for almost 19 hours. It was the flickering of the nightlight that really woke me up, or else I may very well have slept through the night rather than waking up at a quarter after six. I wanted nothing more than to fall right back asleep, but now that my eyes had opened I felt wide awake. So instead of lying in bed, begging sleep to come, I got up and headed to the door. I hesitated with my hand on the classic golden door knob. Everything in Reid's house was like a palace. I suppose being a descendent of one of the founders' of Ipswich's had its perks. I wondered where Reid was in the house right now. Was he expecting me to come out of this room? Did he want me to talk? There was so much to say; so much I didn't want him to know. I didn't want anyone to know. But Reid had wanted me to see a doctor. That was unnecessary. I did a decent enough job with the first aid supplies he had given me – at least for the physical damages. There was no reason to involve anyone else. Finally I turned the handle and opened the door. The hallway was empty, but not all was quiet. I could hear voices coming from somewhere – it sounded like an echo from downstairs. As I walked closer to the bathroom with the intent of splashing cold water on my face, the voices grew more distinct.

"Gorman is the one who taught us control when we were 13. He was the one who trained us to use the power. If anyone would have answers, it's him." That was the ever familiar voice of Caleb.

"I guess so, but that's assuming Gorman will talk to us at all about this. You know he doesn't like people." And that was the distinct drawl of Pogue.

"Let's plan to see him tomorrow. Since _someone_ won't leave his house, _again_." Caleb spoke again.

"I'm not leaving her here alone. I told you last night." Reid sounded annoyed.

I stood there, frozen, remembering the words written in **The Tales of Ipswich: A Hidden History**. The book had talked of the founding families holding magic, called the power. Were Caleb's words confirming it, or was I dreaming? My legs shook and I backed up until I felt the wall. I wasn't sure if I felt scared or nervous or if it was just the pain from the bruises and burns on my body that made me feel weak-kneed.

"Reid?" My voice sounded far away as I called out.

Silence fell between the boys down below. I heard creaking on the stairs as someone ascended, drawing closer and closer. Reid's face appeared at the top. He looked worried and pale. I cringed, feeling unsure and vulnerable.

"Don't be scared." His voice was soft and gentle. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

I stared at him wide-eyed. I was confused and in pain, yet I knew he meant what he said. He wouldn't hurt me – not now; not after everything that happened between us. Or rather, what didn't happen between us. Either way, he spoke the truth. I heard the sound of footsteps downstairs and the closing of a door. The other boys were gone. It was just me and Reid again.

"Caleb and Pogue were here. They're gone now." He confirmed the sounds I'd heard.

"What's going on?" My voice quavered as I tried to wrap my mind around the remote possibility that the tattered old book in the library was right about the founders of the town.

"Let's get you something to eat first. You look like you haven't eaten in days." Reid completely bypassed my question.

I felt the churning in my stomach. I knew that I really should eat something, but I wanted answers too. And even if I did eat, and he was right – it had been a few days – I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep much down between the reality of my condition and the unavoidable confrontation Reid and I were about to have. If I wanted answers, I'd have to take that chance. He started down the stairs, looking over his shoulder to make sure I was following. For clarity – and for the rumbling in my stomach – I walked carefully down the stairs after him, holding onto the banister tightly to make sure I didn't lose my balance.

Finally my feet touched the hardwood landing of the brilliantly decorated, severely sophisticated foyer. For a fleeting moment I wondered how such a grungy guy like Reid Garwin could stand to live in a place as fancy as a palace. The thought was gone as quickly as it had come as I returned to the moment – the moment about to be had, where I would finally learn the truth about Reid and the "Sons of Ipswich". I followed the blonde boy who kept his hair covered by that favorite gray beanie into the kitchen I had sat in so long ago. Once again, it was empty save for the two of us. I sat on a stool at the counter, as I had the last time, and almost instantly Reid placed a plate of various fruits and vegetables in front of me, along with a bowl of what looked like fresh baked rolls, and a selection of sandwiches. Another fleeting thought passed through my mind as I wondered briefly how he could possibly have the time – and the ability – to put this meal together.

Reid sat down opposite me. I noticed then that he wore his signature fingerless gloves, and if I had it in me to smile I probably would have. The familiarity of his outfit felt comfortable. It was the only thing that felt comfortable. I turned my gaze to the food placed before me, wondering if the food would stay down or if I'd have be indecent enough to throw it up. I glanced up at Reid and saw he was watching me. As soon as he noticed me looking at him he turned his eyes to his hands, which were now resting on the countertop. I picked up the fork without a word and stabbed a piece of honeydew melon. I hesitated, but finally I put the slimy green fruit in my mouth. It was sweet and soft and I swallowed it easily. I took another piece, then another, then a few strawberries followed by one of those hot rolls in the basket. As much as I had hated the thought before, I had now consumed just under half the food in front of me. The rumbling in my stomach was gone. I felt more alert, and it took only a few seconds for that nervous feeling I had felt upstairs to creep back up my arms and make my heart beat just a bit faster with fear.

"You look better than you did yesterday," Reid finally spoke. "I mean, you look nourished. How are you, you know… Otherwise?"

I knew what he meant. It was only yesterday that he had found me beaten and battered, covered in bruises and cuts and all sorts of damage. I had a hard time finding my voice, so I simply shrugged. I was in a lot of pain and sore all over, but I wanted answers. I wanted an explanation for everything I heard him and the others talking about.

"Do you remember the day I crashed the car? When you took me up to your room after Caleb and I had fought."

I nodded, still unable to speak.

"Caleb and I fight all the time. I told you he broke the pact we had."

I nodded again.

"That pact was made hundreds of years ago by five of the founders of the original Ipswich colony. We've kept it through the generations. It's the only thing that's kept us safe. I got mad because Caleb told his girlfriend Sarah about it. He told her everything." Reid scowled at the mention of Sarah, but continued on regardless.

"She could exploit us – Me, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler. I thought he would've had the brains to wipe the memory from her before she could ever have the chance. But he didn't, so she still knows about the power we possess, and all the risks and dangers that come with it. And now I'm in the same position, telling you. Caleb called me a hypocrite on his way out, but he's right. I won't wipe your memory after I tell you. If knowing about the power keeps you safe, then I'll tell you."

Again, I tried to speak. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I merely stared at him, confused yet intrigued by the things he was saying. As crazy as it all sounded, as bizarre as it seemed, it fit with the things that had been happening. It explained so much.

"The power… It's been passed down from generation to generation since before our ancestors ever left Europe during the Witch trials. Our families came here and formed a covenant that none of them or any of their descendents would ever turn against each other; that we wouldn't exploit the others or ourselves. Our magic had to stay a secret forever." He finished rather lamely.

"Magic…" My voice finally made its appearance. "Like, hocus pocus? What are you playing at?"

"It's true. Watch." His eyes turned to pure black – something I recalled seeing that day in my dorm, when every light turned off as he left the room. The lights didn't turn off this time. Instead, the basket of rolls lifted off the counter without any contact from Reid. I watched as the basket rose higher and higher, then floated gracefully to the dining table where it lowered and landed with a faint clink. My eyes found Reid's again, and I saw they had turned back to their usual gray.

"Okay, so you can do a few tricks." I was skeptical, though a part of me didn't think this was some ordinary puppet show. After all, what was ordinary about a 17-year-old doing magic tricks in his kitchen?

"Alright, watch this then." His eyes flashed to black again and the window above the table blew open, letting a great gust of ice cold air blow in.

"That could be the wind." I shivered. His eyes remained black and the window closed itself. Reid's eyes faded to gray. The frown on his face showed frustration at my disbelief.

"Fine. You tell me what to do that will make you see the truth." I mulled this over, still feeling the shiver down my spine even though the window had shut.

"I've got no potential strings attached. Forget levitating a basket. Pick me up without laying a hand on me." No sooner had I finished saying it did I feel myself being lifted off the stool and into the air. I kicked at the air the higher I rose until finally he let me down slowly. My bottom hit the seat uneasily and I grabbed the edge of the counter tight enough for my knuckles to turn pure white. I let out a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Okay, you're a witch or whatever you call it. And Caleb and them are too. I guess that means that book in the library was right." I continued to grip the counter – at least the granite top was one thing that had consistent stability.

"Book in the library?" Reid looked at me with a puzzled expression. Evidently he came to some revelation as his gray eyes lit up in recognition.

"Oh, yeah. The hidden history or whatever. Caleb told me to get rid of it months ago, a few weeks after Halloween. The day before Thanksgiving. Shit." His level of calmness about the whole thing both irked and soothed me. Either way, I relaxed my grasp on the granite.

"Okay, great. You have a ready-made excuse for Caleb as to why you didn't ditch the book like you were supposed to." I rolled my eyes. Reid's unruffled appearance slowly faded to discontent and irritation.

"Look, I don't regret anything about Thanksgiving except that I didn't stop you from going inside that barn. I didn't know what was gonna happen, but I sure as hell am not sorry that I took you home and tried to take care of you when no one else would."

I stared at him, lost for words. However, my brief lapse of silence was disrupted by my own frustrations. "And I don't regret trying to help you when you went all self-destructive after fighting with Caleb. I am sorry that I couldn't stop you from getting in that car and almost dying 'cause of all the shit I put you through."

Now it was Reid's turned to look dumbfounded. "You don't get it."

"What don't I get?" I spat.

"The way I am – all this 'destructive' shit I do – it's not because of you. I've always been like this. The last couple of years it's gotten worse." His voice reeked of painful admission. "The only thing that's chilled me out these past couple of months has been you. I know it sounds stupid and cliché and this isn't some fucking love story. But you can't sit there and honestly say that you don't feel that need to protect me. We've never really been friends, but we still got each other's backs. It's like the covenant the old families made, only I don't know where the hell it came from. Do you?"

He was right. What he was saying was stupid, clichéd, and incredibly cheesey. Half of what he said sounded like it came right out of some sick 90s romantic comedy where the townie falls for the new girl and they begin this sick, comical, tragic romance that ends with some ironic kiss.

This was no love story. For the most part we couldn't stand each other. Yet at the same time he was always trying to protect me, and I was doing the same in return. Why did we do it? Why did I care what happened to him, and why did he care what happened to me?


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **I am officially counting down the days until I get to see my kids again. Damn summer. On the plus side, I have no cable and therefore no TV to distract me. The down side: I have no internet. I'll try and mooch wireless off someone so I can update this a few times, but bear with me! I still get your reviews on my phone via email so keep 'em coming and let me know what you think.

**Last Seen [September]:** _"Okay, you have this magical power. Caleb and the other guys have it too… I'm sorry I didn't stop you from getting in that car. You almost died because of the shit I put you through."_

"_It's not like that. I've always been self-destructive. The only thing that's chilled me out lately has been you. I know it sounds stupid and clichéd and this isn't some love story but you can't honestly say that you're not trying to protect me. It's like the covenant the old families made – we've never been friends, but we still got each other's backs. I don't understand why though. Do you?"_

_He was right. What he was saying was stupid, clichéd, and half of what he said sounded like it came right out of some 90s romantic comedy where the townie falls for the new girl and they begin this sick, comical, tragic romance that ends with some ironic kiss. But it was true – this was no love story. For the most part we couldn't stand each other, yet at the same time we were always trying to protect each other. Why did we do it? Why did I care what happened to him, and why did he care what happened to me?_

**Chapter 16: The Little Things**

_[Reid]_

"No idea. Is there any more of that green melon stuff?" September picked up the napkin buried beneath one of the bowls of assorted crumbs and wiped her hands.

"Wait, let's back up a second. I just told you I have powers, gave you proof, and all you want is more honey dew? Shouldn't you be freaking out or something?" I couldn't believe how well she was taking this. I just told her _everything_ and she just wanted food.

"Honestly Reid, I'm tired of freaking out. I've had more than enough panic attacks and psychotic breaks so I'd really rather just have more food. But I mean, if you're all out of that honey dew stuff I can try and sleep or something." September's reaction far less than what I'd expected, but I had no reason to complain. If she wasn't going to freak out, so be it. For now, time to test the water.

"There might still be some in the fridge." My eyes flashed black and the refrigerator door opened. September's face showed only scrutiny as she stared between me and the fridge contents.

"I don't see any in there. Oh well. I'll live." Sarcasm, how original. My eyes went back to their normal gray as I stared at her in disbelief. Her entire demeanor was irritating. This wasn't something I was prepared for.

"Seriously? You're okay with this?"

"What do you want me to say, Reid? That I'm scared?" There was an abrupt change in her tone of voice. No longer did she appear calm and collected. Now September was clearly annoyed.

"You will _never_ hear me say that. You don't scare me, with or without witchcraft. I mean, yeah this shit is really bizarre, but it's an explanation and that's all I need." It occurred to me then that this was how we operated. She gets mad, I get mad. I get annoyed, she gets annoyed. Its offense against offense and our civil conversations are minimal with interrupting fights. We were two fucked up peas in a pod.

"Do you really think I'm stuck-up?" There was another change in September's tone and a blatant change in subject. Her voice expressed a feeling of hesitance, though it was steady and unwavering. The new subject matter was beneficial, however, considering I had no idea what to retaliate with prior. On the other hand, I wasn't quite sure what she meant.

"What are you talking about?" I pulled my gloves off and started pulling the empty plates and bowls toward me so I could toss them in the dishwasher.

"The day you crashed Tyler's car you said that I was just like the other girls at Spencer. You basically said I was judgmental and took advantage of your reputation."

My reputation was well-deserved: a player and a playboy. I hooked up with a lot of girls at Spencer and rarely did they ever find themselves in my company more than once. Meanwhile September had spent at least eight nights at my family's mansion, and that was enough for the rumor mill at school to speed up tenfold. No one at school – save for Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler – would ever believe that a girl could spend the night at my place in a separate room with little-to-no physical interaction with me. The dishes remained on the counter in front of me as I felt a sudden, somewhat foreign feeling of guilt. There was no doubt in my mind that I said those awful things to her.

"I shouldn't have said that. I jumped the gun saying you were judging me when all you were trying to do was get me to see reason." Wait a minute. Did I just apologize and admit I was wrong?

"I don't know you well enough to make any kind of judgment, Reid." September made a valid point. For months we've been experiencing this bizarro connection and evidently we've both questioned it, but in all the time that's passed we hadn't really gotten to know each other. I knew almost nothing about her, and she knew almost nothing about me – except for the most significant part about me having magical powers – and now was the perfect opportunity to change that.

"You have a point there. Maybe it's time we laid all the cards on the table. Like that game, 20 questions or whatever."

"You're definitely not getting all the cards, but I guess I'll play along for now." Now things were really about to get interesting.

"Alright, that's cool. You wanna start?" I couldn't help but add, "Ladies first and all," to which she rolled those barely green eyes I was so accustomed to.

"How many girls in our history class have you hooked up with?" Of course she would start with a question like that. It was to be expected when I've let my reputation get the best of me.

"I don't know." My reply was lame, but it was the truth. I usually slept through history and copied Tyler's notes later, so I honestly could not think of which girls were in a class I've never been fully conscious for.

"Well, according to the rumor mill you've hooked up with Annabel, Olivia, Adrianna, Stacy and Linda." September recited the names as if she were reading them from a list. _Damn, five in one class._

"That's _just_ our history class? Shit, well, that's only eighty percent true. I never hooked up with Annabel. Unless you count her jumping me outside the locker room after swim practice, but we only made out. She's got one of those purity rings so I never got further than that with her, not like I ever really wanted to. I don't like girls who are taller than me." Shallow, but honest.

"She is pretty tall." September gave a noncommittal shrug in agreement, and rightfully so. Annabel Morris was around six-foot four and I'm six-one. The girl's a giant. "Okay, your turn to ask."

"Hmm." I tapped my foot on the leg of the stool while I tried to think of a good question.

"Okay I got one. Why did your family leave Philadelphia?"

"My dad was the district manager for Gillespie Construction in Philly, but got promoted to regional director in Boston so we had to move up here. My turn. What's a darkling?"

For whatever reason, that was a question I wasn't quite prepared for. Darklings weren't exactly the simplest of things to explain, but I didn't have much choice in the matter. My brow furrowed as I did my best to offer a definition. "Darklings are these shadowy things that look kind of like dead people. They're dark magic, sent as a warning to enemies. I wish I could explain it better, but they're pretty complex."

"It's good enough, I guess. Kinda basic, but makes some sort of sense." Thankfully she understood – to some degree – what I meant. My eyes relaxed as I contemplated a question for her.

"Yeah… I'm up now. How long have you been afraid of the dark?" I wasn't sure if I had crossed the line or not, but it wasn't like I asked _why_ she was afraid. Surely that would've been a more sensitive topic. Nonetheless, I could see the hesitance on her face. The paleness in her cheeks seemed to obtain a slight greenish hue, as if the thought of this question made her nauseous.

"I was 13 when it started." Her voice was significantly quieter. There was a slight tremor in the way she'd answered, but at least she answered at all. Yet even the uncomfortable quaver of her tone did not allow those green eyes of hers to look away from my silver ones.

"Why don't you have a New England accent?" She asked the question before I could even really process her response.

"Why don't you?"

"Touché." For a moment I thought I saw her mouth twitch, as if it were about to curve into a smile, but the moment passed just as quickly as it had come and I was left looking at an emotionless face. There were a few seconds of a semi-awkward silence based in hesitance. It was my turn to ask a question.

"Do you like Ipswich better or Philadelphia?"

She took some time to mull over an answer – or maybe she was just lost in thought. I was about to offer a new question when she finally responded. "I'd rather be in Colorado."

"What's in –", I started, but she interrupted me quickly.

"It's my turn to ask."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** I completely forgot to update the author's note to reflect the one I posted last time. Thank you all for being patient with me. I hope you don't have to wait too long for the next few chapters. Please keep up the reviews! My favorite emails are the ones from telling me what you've had to say, what you'd like to see, what your thoughts and opinions and ideas are.

**Previously [Reid's P.O.V**]:

"_What's a darkling?"_

"_Darklings are these shadowy things that look kind of like dead people. They're dark magic, sent as a warning to enemies. I wish I could explain it better, but they're pretty complex."_

"_It's good enough, I guess. Kinda basic, but makes some sort of sense." Thankfully she understood – to some degree – what I meant. My eyes relaxed as I contemplated a question for her._

"_Yeah… I'm up now. How long have you been afraid of the dark?" I wasn't sure if I had crossed the line or not, but it wasn't like I asked why she was afraid. _

"_I was 13 when it started."_

"_Do you like Ipswich better or Philadelphia?" _

"_I'd rather be in Colorado." _

"_What's in –", I started, but she interrupted me quickly._

"_It's my turn to ask."_

**Chapter 17: Strong on the Surface **

_[September]_

"Okay, fine. Ask away." He resigned, but I could hear in the way he said it that the topic of Colorado was about to be explored, and I wasn't quite sure if I'd just made a huge mistake or not.

"Why aren't your parents ever here?" There was a noticeable change in atmosphere. Reid's shoulders seemed to stiffen and jaw tightened in defense.

"My mom died when I was thirteen. There was a fire. The autopsy said it was smoke inhalation. The fire department said the fire started at the curtains, probably from a cigarette that wasn't disposed of properly. My dad is… Around sometimes. I don't come back to the estate if he's here, usually."

His tense posture led me to a feeling of guilt and sorrow. I wasn't the only person who had neglectful parents. I should have known better than to ask.

"I'm sorry." I hoped he could hear the meaning in my voice.

"Don't worry about it." He tapped his fingers on the countertop and the movement reminded me of spiders crawling across pavement.

"What's in Colorado?"

"Xander, my brother. He lives there." God, how I wished Xander didn't have to be so far away. There was no one who could make me feel safe like my big-little brother did.

"I didn't know you had a brother." It clearly intrigued Reid by the way his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Most people don't." Nothing pained me more than losing Xander. The pain and suffering I went through at the hands of Jace couldn't even overpower the heartache I felt over my brother. Talking about him only made it that much worse.

"Who else has magic besides you, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler?"

"There was a fifth, Chase. He uh, disappeared a few months ago. No one's heard from him since Halloween. Other than that, haven't got a clue. The history of the power is vague so it's hard to find others, if there even are others."

There was a long pause featuring deafening silence. I didn't know what to say. Magic certainly wasn't something I knew about, and it was his turn to ask me a question. I wondered if he would ask more about Xander, or if the topic change again.

"September?" He looked at his hands, and I could swear I saw uncertainty in his eyes before they looked away. Seeing him like that made me nervous. It was never a good sign to see Reid so far outside of his strong, tough guy persona. That was what usually led him to violence and menace.

"Yeah?"

"I know you're scared, but whoever did this to you could've left some serious damage. I need you to go to the hospital. They have… Stuff that can help you. I won't stay if you don't want me to, but you have to get checked out."

He knew. I don't know how he knew, but he did. _Stuff that can help you_. Yeah, a hospital would have that kind of thing. My mother took me when I was thirteen, after she found the bruises and self-inflicted burns on my arms. She didn't know what happened, and the doctor had to follow the code of confidentiality. My parents never knew Jace violated me in the worst possible way. How did Reid figure it out? I guess I wasn't as good a liar as I used to be. I couldn't cover up a second assault – covering it up once had been hard enough.

"Alright, I'll go. You'll drive?" Reid nodded. The stiffness in his shoulders visible relaxed. Surely he was glad I had given in to what he wanted. He didn't have to blackmail or force me to do it. I made it easy for him. I acknowledged he was right, and that pleased him – even if he didn't show it.

**Author's Note #2:** A lot of unanswered questions have been brought to the surface, eh? But their dual questionnaire isn't over yet.

I'd like to acknowledge **Serendipity10** because she's been waiting on September's journey to the hospital for 6 chapters. Don't worry, my fantastic reviewer/critic! There's more to come on that subject soon. To answer a question you'd asked quite some time ago re: Xander – I know there are many types of autism. When I first created him I had intended him to have PDD-NOS, but found myself rewriting him on the larger scale of the classic spectrum. I wish I could delve into more detail, but it won't be relative to the rest of this story.

To my other followers, thank you for being so patient and supportive. I appreciate everything you have to say. Constructive criticsm, ideas, theories, the whole shebang. College life has certainly kept me busy, but I must reiterate that I looove when my phone buzzes in the middle of class and I get the pleasure of leaving the room while reading your reviews. Thank you and pleasepleaseplease keep them coming!

**Coming up**: What kind of damage will September have, according to the doctor who takes care of her? Will Caleb meet with Gorman to ask him about the power and who else it might belong to? Will September ever tell Reid what happened, since she's figured out that he knows the basic story already? And who could have raped her for the second time now: Jace, Chase, someone new, or even possibly someone she knows?


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** Ohmygod I hate being a creative writing major. It is sucking the joy out of writing. It threw me into a horrendous writer's block for two and a half months. It's time consuming and miserable and making me so very unhappy. If I can't enjoy my greatest passion, then it's not worth it to continue this path. I'm switching to anthropology. Studying human culture, what fun that shall be. Now that I've made this decision it's like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. So, at long last, here is chapter 18. It's very short, I know, but it's really just an interlude to the…Well you'll just have to wait for chapter 19 to see. I'm hoping to write that next weekend, but it's possible that it won't be up until Thanksgiving or later. I'm hoping that won't be the case. But, as always, read and review and tell me what you think.

**Previously: [September]**

"_I know you're scared, but whoever did this to you could've left some serious damage. I need you to go to the hospital. They have… Stuff that can help you. I won't stay if you don't want me to, but you have to get checked out."_

_He knew. I don't know how he knew, but he did. I guess I wasn't as good a liar as I used to be. I couldn't cover up a second assault – covering it up once had been hard enough._

"_Alright, I'll go." I had given in to what he wanted._

**Chapter 18: Let Her Cry**

_[Reid's POV]_

September didn't protest when I asked her for what felt like the 20th time to go to the hospital. There was only so much a first aid kit could do for her. She needed to get looked at. Whoever did that to her could've left some serious damage. I didn't want to think about the possibilities.

The paperwork was grueling as we sat in the waiting area of the urgent care center at St. Vincent's Hospital. She couldn't be treated until it was all filled out. The health care system was so barbaric. Eight forms later September carried the clipboard to the front desk.

"Everything seems to be in order. A doctor will see you shortly."

She returned to the waiting area and took a seat across from me. She sat with one leg under her and her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes were focused on the floor, and I wondered what she was feeling. Was she scared? Nervous? Anxious? I wondered if she would tell me what happened, and then I wondered if I really wanted to know. I looked at my watch. Two minutes passed. Three minutes. Six minutes. What was taking them so long? This was supposed to be _urgent care_, as in see-this-person-now-because-its-urgent.

Just as I was preparing to go up to the desk and demand someone see her, a nurse in pink scrubs came out from behind a cream-colored swinging door. She took the shelf behind the receptionist's desk and read the name.

"Keaton, September?" September stood up. Her expression was unreadable as she followed the nurse through the cream door. I would never admit this to anyone, but I was terrified for what was happening beyond the door.

**Coming up:** September's examination can reveal many truths about the rape that occurred just days ago. What do you think she will find out? Will she open up to Reid, or keep him in the dark? And what will Reid do if-and-when he finds out the whole truth?


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note****:** Chapter 19 has come early! Thank you daylight savings time for waking me up an hour earlier because I forgot to set my clock. And thank you all for the reviews of chapter 18. Of all the inspiration I could have to write more, you guys are the best.

WARNING: This chapter contains a description involving needles, veins and blood. If you have issues with that sort of thing, wait until chapter 20 is posted! You'll be able to follow it without reading this one. I'll make sure of it.

**[Previously: Reid]**

_September didn't protest when I asked her for what felt like the 20__th__ time to go to the hospital. There was only so much a first aid kit could do for her. She needed to get looked at. Whoever did that to her could've left some serious damage. I didn't want to think about the possibilities._

"_Keaton, September?" September stood up. Her expression was unreadable as she followed the nurse through the cream door. I would never admit this to anyone, but I was terrified for what was happening beyond the door._

**Chapter 19: Worst of Truth**

She asked me a lot of questions. They weren't easy to answer. I didn't like talking about it, but knowing Reid was waiting out in the lobby gave me this sense of safety that made it just a little bit easier to speak – even if my voice was awfully quiet.

"Do you know if your attacker used protection?"

"Yeah. He did."

"Would you allow me to collect evidence for a sexual assault evidence collection kit?"

There was a brief moment of silence before I was able to answer. I looked at my hands, unable to look at her face. "No."

I heard her sigh in disappointment. "Alright. I'm going to draw some blood to test for HIV and other STIs. I'll also check for pregnancy. After I send the blood to the lab I'll take a look at your external injuries for signs of infection."

I nodded wordlessly. It was the same procedure as four years ago. I knew the routine. It's not exactly easy to forget. I said nothing as she tied an elastic band around my arm and poked the needle through my skin. I barely felt a pinch. She untied the elastic as two vials with purple caps were filled, followed by a vial with a green cap. Once that was done Dr. Chandler placed the vials on the counter and gently eased the needle from my arm. A cotton swab and band-aid were placing over the barely visible dot that had produced so much blood. She labeled each vial and had me sign a form, then sent them to the lab for diagnosis.

"We should have the results shortly." She assured me. I nodded in response.

Dr. Chandler then began an examination of the outer regions of my body. She began at my pelvis, moved lower, and when it ended she merely said, "You have no serious damage here. Now let's check out the rest of you, shall we?"

The next part of the proceedings were not much different than any other visit to a doctor after some sort of physical injury. Bones, ligaments, bruises and abrasions – all were checked for signs of more imminent danger. After each injury was examined, Dr. Chandler made notes on the chart, all the while keeping up her simple explanations to accompany why she was doing what she was doing. Her analysis at the end of this portion of the examination was that I had no broken bones and none of my wounds were infected. This wasn't news to me.

"Before the lab results get here I want to talk to you about something I did notice, quite significantly."

At this point I was already in the process of redressing myself and knew full well what she had noticed. Not all of the marks on my arms were cuts and bruises from the rape.

"September, it is not uncommon for someone who has gone through this to begin some unhealthy habits. The scars on your arms are scorch marks, and some are fresher than others."

I said nothing.

"Causing yourself harm won't erase what has happened to you. I think it may be wise for you to seek counseling. We have a free mental health clinic here on the third floor, if your boyfriend is able to drive – "

"Reid is _not_ my boyfriend." I cut her off. "And thanks, but I think I'll pass on the shrink."

Dr. Chandler nodded, again disappointed in my lack of cooperation. "At the very least, you shouldn't keep things bottled up. Talk to someone you trust, or keep a journal."

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. The nurse in pink scrubs who had led me into the office at the start had returned with the results of my bloodwork. My foot tapped on the floor as I anxiously waited for Dr. Chandler to read the results.

"Alright, September. The results are in. You're clear of pregnancy, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia." A feeling of relief swept through me.

"But –" ohno. My heart began to beat faster. Not pregnant, no major STI, what the hell is she saying 'but' for? "I'm afraid to say that you have contracted a less common illness. There are treatments, and if you follow through on all of them and follow the guidelines for daily living you can achieve a sustained virologic response."

I stared at her, mouth clenched tightly shut. "_What_ is it?"

"September, I'm sorry, but you have hepatitis C."

The silence that followed was the loudest silence I've ever heard. The blood was pounding in my ears as her words echoed in my mind. _You have hepatitis C. You have hepatitis C. You have hepatitis C._

"What does that mean?" My voice was exceptionally quiet as I tried to prevent it from shaking.

"Well, hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver. It can be caused by kidney dialysis, injecting street drugs or sharing a needle, and in your case, sexual contact. It's typically umprotected sex that has risk, but not impossible for it to be contracted even with protection. Treatment will be done here. You'll have to come in once a week for injections of pegylated interferon alfa, which is the intravenous treatment, and take a pill capsule called Ribavirin twice a day. This will continue for 24-48 weeks, depending on how well you take to it."

Every injury on my body suddenly felt painless as she explained this repulsive disease flowing through my body.

"You may experience an assortment of symptoms from the hepatitis, as well as from the medications. Hepatitis C can cause abdominal pain and swelling, fatigue, fever, itching, nausea, anemia, vomiting, and loss of apetite. Once the treatment starts to take affect, you may feel those symptoms as they can appear as side effects, as well as: anemia, flu-like symptoms, headaches, irritability, thinning of hair, and low white blood cell counts. Every third week of treatment we'll test your blood cells, of course, and if you start to feel an excessive amount of symptoms you absolutely must call me or the hospital immediately."

I nodded, drinking in every word as the feeling of repulsion increased.

"You must be mindful of vitamins, nutritional supplements and over-the-counter medications. Call Nurse Joy to check if it is alright for you to take anything. You must also avoid alcohol. Even moderate amounts can speed up the progression of hepatitis C, and alcohol reduces the effectiveness of treatment."

I nodded again. My throat felt exceptional dry and I doubted I could speak even if I could form any coherent words.

"Have you been vaccinated for hepatitis A and B?"

"Yes," I choked out, my voice hoarse.

"Okay, very good." Dr. Candler rose from her chair. "September, I assure you this disease can be fought and defeated as long as you take care of your body. I know you have been through a tremendous amount already, but you must be as healthy as possible."

"Can I go now?" My voice was still dry. I couldn't stand to be there for another minute. _He_ gave me hepatitis C. He brutalized me, raped me, and diseased me. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed, fall asleep, and wake up to find that this was all just a distant nightmare and not in the least bit real.

"Yes, just stop by Nurse Joy's desk so she can book your first round of appointments."

If I had joints at all in my body, I couldn't feel them. I was numb all over – as if I'd been sitting outside in the cold in one position for days. I slowly made my way to the nurse's desk and gripped the edge of the counter tightly. Nurse Joy booked me appointments for the next six weeks. After the sixth injection Dr. Chandler would do another blood test to see where I was at. Nurse Joy handed me six appointment cards, which I stuck in my pocket, and a pamphlet with all the same information on hepatitis C Dr. Chandler had told me. I thanked her quietly and bid her goodbye as I exited through the swinging, cream-colored doors and returned to the waiting room.

Reid was sitting in the chair I had left him in almost two hours ago. He looked pale and his leg was shaking with his foot tapping the floor. There was an indiscernible expression on his face. If I didn't know better, I may have thought it was fear. But that wasn't how Reid operated.

"Are you okay?" He stood up quickly and I took a step back, trying to hide my own anxiety and fear.

"Yeah," I lied. "Just need to change the bandages regularly. I'm fine. Can we just go? I don't want to be here anymore."

He nodded, and a clear look of relief splashed across his face as he pulled the keys to his Panamera from his pocket. We walked out to the parking lot and I could feel the corners of the appointment cards pricking me in the waist with each step I took. No one needed to know – not even the person responsible for me finding out what was wrong in the first place.

**Author's Note2****: **A rather difficult chapter to write, and I wrote it while half asleep. I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors. If you spot anything, let me know so I can fix it. As per usual, I'd love to read your reviews and hear your thoughts/opinions on what's going on, as well as your predictions. Your predictions and reviews help inspire the unwritten parts of the story.

Here's a look at what's to come: _September is determined to keep her diagnosis a secret, but when she starts disappearing from school during lunch and leaving classes early, it doesn't go unnoticed. Reid feels his connection to September strengthening with each day, and he struggles to understand what it could mean – as well as what he's feeling underneath his mask of careless, egotistical pride. Also to come, a visit to Gorman in an effort to find out more about the Power and the possibilities behind the Darkling._


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** Hey lovely readers! I am most apologetic for the several-months-long wait between chapters, but school/work is an absolute nightmare and I've had only five minutes at a time to write a single chapter. But at last! Here is chapter 20. Read, review, and forgive me for my tardiness. I hope to have chapter 21 up sooner than it took to get this one.

**[Previously: September]**

"Would you allow me to collect evidence for a sexual assault evidence collection kit?"

"No."

"Alright, well. You're clear of pregnancy, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia." A feeling of relief swept through me.

"September, I'm sorry, but you have hepatitis C."

Every injury on my body suddenly felt painless as she explained this repulsive disease flowing through my body.

**Chapter 20: Lovers and Liars**

The old leather-band watch on my wrist ticked exceptionally loud as time moved along with the speed of a snail. The wait for the doctor to see her was long enough, but waiting for her to come back – and with any luck, no news for ware – was ten times more excruciating. My imagination was running wild with the dozens of outcomes. And what would happen when it was over? Would she tell me if she was hurt? Would she ask for my help? Would she give me the name of the bastard that did this so I could throttle him to death?

The secondhand on the gold face of the time piece stopped moving. It may have been the battery, or it may have been my mind playing tricks on me. Regardless, I tore it from my wrist and chucked it in the nearest waste bin. I could hear the blood pulsing in my ears as I waited. How much time had truly passed? An hour? Two hours? Days? Every minute she was back there was a minute filled with thoughts of damage and pain. Why else would it take this long? Visits to the doctor only took longer if you were really that unhealthy.

It was times like these that I wished I picked up some mindless habit to cool the nerves. Some people smoke, some people drink, but my way of releasing tension was usually Using the power. It was just as bad as getting wasted, according to Caleb. I think he'd prefer me getting crazy drunk, as long as it meant I wasn't getting reckless and addicted to the power. I have a feeling that even if I downed a bottle of vodka, it would only make me Use more. Not to mention alcoholism runs in the family, on my mother's side.

My leg shook as I tapped my foot on the floor. The anxiety was at its peak. I would never admit it out loud, but the fear crawling up my spine was so intense it made me nauseous. Anger clouded another part of my brain, reminding me that the reason I was trapped in this waiting room was because someone – some sick bastard – had raped September. I would find him, and I would bury him six feet under.

Finally, after an eternity, the terrifying cream-colored doors swung open. September walked out, looking worse for wear, and I tried to hide the anxiety and fear causing my heart to beat so loudly. I stood up, quicker than I intended, and saw her wince and take a step back. God, she was so broken.

"Are you okay?" I knew she wasn't – not emotionally, at least – but I had to know as much as she was willing to tell me.

"Yeah, just need to change the bandages regularly. I'm fine." _No, you're not_. I still felt somewhat relieved that the physical damage wasn't anything worse than that. "Can we just go? I don't want to be here anymore."

I nodded and pulled my keys from my pocket. My hands felt sore from clenching them in fists for so long. I led her out to the parking lot and unlocked the car. I could feel her hold on me – the connection strengthening – as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Tomorrow's Monday," I said, buckling my own seatbelt and revving up the engine.

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you want to go back to school? I mean, you don't have to. I can clean up your dorm room and figure out what to do from there, if you want." I pulled out of the hospital parking lot and we headed back to my place.

"I have to go back. I'll take care of the room, pack my stuff, then go to the provost and withdraw for the rest of the semester."

It took a hell of a lot of control to not take my eyes off the road as she said that. "You're going to leave Spencer?"

She stared at the window, and I couldn't help but feel like she was keeping something from me. "So what, you're just gonna go to public school?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." I was already on the highway, but hearing what September was saying was too much. I pulled over in the shoulder, turned on the hazard lights, and turned to look at her.

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't care. It's not like we're –" I shook my head, prepared to interrupt her.

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"You're the one that's not getting it, Reid. We're not _anything_ and we _never_ will be. Forget about this so-called connection and just let me go." She snapped back quickly. September didn't make any movement, but it felt like she'd just slapped me hard across the face. I faced forward, my jaw stiffening in a scowl. I wasn't about to let her know she'd stung me. The gear shifted into drive, the hazard lights turned off, and I pulled back onto the highway.

There was silence. It was a silence so loud, so piercing, that I almost would have preferred if September and I were screaming at each other. The violent silence was broken when the Bluetooth for my cell phone rang through the speakers of the car, causing both of us to jump. I glanced at the screen above the gear and saw Caleb's name. With a sigh, I hit the green key next to the radio control.

"Not a good time, Caleb." I said as casually as I could.

"You need to get to the barn, now." Caleb's voice responded through the car speakers.

I groaned in frustration and struggled to keep the bitterness from my voice. The guys had said we'd go together, but clearly that wasn't the case. "You went without me."

"The Darkling appeared again. Tyler this time."

"Shit," I swore, glancing at September. She was staring out the window, but I knew she was hanging on to every word Caleb said.

"I'll meet you in half an hour. Gotta stop at home first."

"Hurry." Caleb said, and the line went dead.

"My house is closer," September said, still staring out the window. "Drop me off there and you'll reach the barn sooner."

"Your stuff is at my place." _And your parents won't take care of you like I will._

"I'll just get it tomorrow. Go to your brothers. They need you." _You need me too._ And even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I knew she was right and took the next exit, driving toward her house.

"I'll pack your bag and bring it to school so you don't have to make the drive." She nodded as I pulled into her driveway. Without another word, she got out of the car and punched in the numbers on the keypad to open the garage. Once she had disappeared inside and the door closed, I backed down the driveway and peeled out onto the road. I let the power fill my eyes and kicked the engine into high gear.

Focusing on the destination wasn't enough to keep me from popping a U-ey and going back to September's. Instead I concentrated on what this meeting would lead to – answers that would help protect her. A fifteen minute drive turned into a five minute race against my instincts. I parked beside Pogue's bike and met Tyler at the end of the gravel path in front of the Danvers' old property.

"That was quick." Tyler greeted me with a raised eyebrow. "Caleb said not to expect you for another forty minutes at least."

"Yeah. Well. I'm here now." Leave it to Caleb to assume I'd be late rather than early. "So what happened? Caleb said you got a Darkling."

"Yeah," Tyler nodded, "it showed up at three this morning when I was working on our industrial revolution project."

"Industrial revolution project?" My turn to raise an eyebrow. "First I'm hearing of that."

"You've been preoccupied." Tyler shrugged. "It's just a PowerPoint presentation. I'll do the talking, you can push the buttons."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I rolled my eyes, but he had every right to be ticked. My priorities weren't at school these days. "So what about this Darkling? What'd it look like?"

Tyler took his time before answering me. He seemed intent on smoothing out a patch of gravel that had clumped up with the sole of his shoe. "I knew she was trouble from the start."

That wasn't quite what I was expecting to hear. "Who?"

"The Darkling showed up in the form of Keaton."

No. _That_ wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "That's impossible."

"I know what I saw, Reid." Tyler stopped kicking the gravel and looked at me, though he didn't quite meet my eyes. "It was her face."

"A Darkling can only take the form of a dead person." I snapped back, my fists shaking at my sides.

"I thought so too, until last night." Tyler turned away and started walking up the path. The vehemence was boiling in my gut.

"Why do you hate her?" I called after him, staying rooted to the spot.

"She's killing you." If the area wasn't so vacant, I wouldn't have heard his reply. What he was saying couldn't possibly be true. And who was he to judge September? Tyler was an ignorant son of a bitch. I felt a surge of guilt at the thought. It only made me more resentful of my so-called best friend. I went back to my car and revved up the engine, turning up the volume on the stereo as loud as it could go without busting the speakers and lay back in the seat with my eyes closed. Going inside the barn house right now would only lead to disaster. I needed to cool down, or else I might hurt Tyler. God knows I wanted to.

A few minutes passed. I was still furious with Tyler. He knew just how to push my buttons. After all, he was my best friend – my roommate. The person that I told some, if not all of my secrets to. It was the deepest betrayal. There was a tap at my window. I opened my eyes and looked to see Pogue. Reluctantly, I opened the window.

"What are you doing?" How the hell Pogue managed to keep cool through everything that happened – except that one time with Chase after he hurt Kate – I never knew. It was one of the more admirable traits he possessed. It's why he was the voice of reason in our group.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" I snapped.

"Looks like you're being a real jackass." I said nothing in response, so he continued. "Look, man. Tyler told us about the Darkling. I get it. If he'd said it was Kate, I'd be pissed too."

"If I go in there, I might beat the shit outta him." I replied through clenched teeth.

"Baby Boy is trying to figure out what's goin' on, just like the rest of us. We're brothers. We gotta do this together, so get out of the car and get inside the colony house."

Ugh. I hate it when he's right. I turned off the car, got out and reluctantly followed Pogue into Caleb's family's old house. The place reeked of something dead – probably decomposing rats trapped in the layers of dust coating the floor or some gross shit like that. "This place smells so rank. I thought caretaker meant _taking_ _care_ of the house."

"Priorities, man." Pogue replied, ascending the stairs to the second level and kicking up some dust. Had it been Caleb, I'd have sworn he did it on purpose.

"Wha's that s'posed t'mean?" I coughed in reply.

"Cleaning the carpet isn't as important as taking care of family secrets." We had reached the top of the stairs. Pogue walked a little ways down the hall and knocked on one of the doors before pushing it open. I stood in the hall, rocking back and forth on my heels, still not thrilled with the prospect of facing Tyler.

"Reid, don't be a jackass." Pogue's voice droned from behind the door. I ran a gloved hand through my hair, feeling an inkling of resentment for the second oldest. If I had my way, I wouldn't be in that house at all. I'd be on the other side of town, at my house with September, and I wouldn't be called a jackass or made to feel like one. But options were limited, and I pushed the door open.

"Don't even start." I snapped at Tyler as soon as he opened his mouth. "Let's just get the information so I can get home."

Gorman stepped forward from the shadows of the room, and I felt like cringing at the old man's appearance. If the house was in bad shape, it was nothing compared to this guy. His hair was gray and matted, and his skin was taut on his face making him look skeletal. "I suggest cancelling any engagements you had for tonight, young master Garwin, because this is the lesson you've been waiting on for the last four years."

Here's a look at what's to come: _What is lesson is Gorman giving the Sons of Ipswich? What secrets does he hold that they have had to wait four years to hear about? Also coming up, September remains determined in keeping her diagnosis a secret, but how long before someone starts to notice her disappearances from school? And what will her secret mean for the mysterious connection she has with Reid?_


	21. Chapter 21

**Authors Note**: Sorry for the delay, everyone! I've been slowly piecing together the next leg of the story and found myself in the midsts of serious writer's block for a while there. But at last, here is Spetember's point of view, and soon to follow will be Reid's next chapter.

**[Previously: Reid]**

Caleb called en route from the hospital. "The Darkling appeared again. Tyler this time."

"Shit," I swore, glancing at September. She was staring out the window, but I knew she was hanging on to every word Caleb said.

"I'll meet you in half an hour. Gotta stop at home first."

"Hurry." Caleb said, and the line went dead.

"My house is closer; you'll be able to reach the barn sooner." September said.

**Chapter 21: Fall Out of the Sky**

**[September's POV]  
**

When I walked back to the waiting room and saw Reid shaking with anxiety, I felt a pang of guilt. It was the first raw emotion I'd felt in hours, if not days, and I felt guilty for dragging him through the muddy water of my contaminated life. There's something seriously sick about that. Then again, I am seriously sick. Hepatitis C. My life can never be the same – but Reid doesn't need to know that. He doesn't need to know that I don't want to leave Spencer, but I can't stay; I'll be missing too much school for the feeble attempt to have a normal life. There's something moronic about missing the staple in normalcy in order to live normally.

And there's something moronic in the notion of normal, especially when it comes to my life. How normal can a girl be when she's irrefutably connected to a boy with magical powers? I can deny it and pretend it doesn't exist, but it doesn't change that I feel it – especially when it's growing stronger. Reid Garwin aside, there was next to nothing normal or average or simple about my life. I have a brother boarded up in a mental institution and serious absentees for parents. Add being plagued by an incurable disease, a repeat victim of sex crimes and any chance at normal never seems to have been there at all.

Sitting in an empty house left me with plenty of time to think about the events of the last three days. Was it really only three days? _"Tomorrow's Monday,"_ Reid had said. Time was irrelevant before. Now it's all-consuming. I can live with hepatitis C. I can leave Spencer and use the money from tuition to pay for the hospital bills and medicine I'll need for the rest of forever. Dropping out and getting my GED is an option for filling in the education gap. But on the slimmest chance that my parents actually paid attention to my academics, or worse – if my parents actually showed up around the house during the day – how would I explain things?

I pulled the pamphlet on hepatitis C from my pocket and stared blankly at the front page. Dr. Chandler had talked a lot about the virus coursing through my veins and I was too overwhelmed by the news to take in much of what she had said. Now I could take my time with the information in this little packet. The symptoms, the treatments, the side effects – it was all laid out on this little sheet of paper. A substantial amount of information that made the truth of my life tangible and physical.

This was all _his_ fault. That bastard who raped me and brutalized me had also _diseased_ me. The numb shock that had enveloped my mind began to fade as realization sank in. My blood began to boil as the opportunity to be angry about what he had done to me was finally present. I yelled and shouted, using every foul name I could think of to describe the monster that had attacked me. I threw things, I broke things. I screamed and I cried until my throat burned raw and I could no longer make any sound.

What is left for me but a life of sickness? What kind of depraved, wicked being could do this to another? The monster invaded my thoughts, invaded my dreams, and I could do nothing but crawl beneath the plush blankets and silently beg for comfort in sleep.

**Coming soon:** _September is determined to keep her diagnosis a secret, but will she go so far as to drop out of Spencer? Reid feels his connection to September strengthening with each day, and he struggles to understand what it could mean – as well as what he's feeling underneath his mask of careless, egotistical pride. Also to come, what lesson is Gorman giving the Sons of Ipswich? _


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** I haven't updated in ages and I do apologize for that. I became much busier than I expected and my time for writing was next to none. Much of the beginning of this chapter is based on the graphic novel for The Covenant (Image Comics, 2005). While the comic is not the basis for the movie, it was created by the people at Sony as a promotion-type thing which offers information not found in the film. It's really not that good and I wouldn't recommend wasting your twenty bucks on it. Merely giving credit where credit is due.

**Previously:**

Gorman stepped forward from the shadows of the room. "I suggest cancelling any engagements you had for tonight, young master Garwin, because this is the lesson you've been waiting on for the last four years."

Chapter 22: Burn it to the Ground

_[Reid's POV]_

"I have wondered often when I would have to tell you the truth of the broken Covenant by John Putnam in our history's earliest days. Your teenage years are a time of carefree fun, excitement, exploration and discovery. But you are also the most powerful Warlocks in the world. A little fun today can mean big trouble tomorrow, as I told you the summer following your thirteenth birthdays and the initial development of your power. And as I always urge you to remember, there is no such thing as coincidence. Much of this story you have already heard, but you will hear it again and listen to understand." Gorman looked between each of us as he spoke, but his eyes lingered on me just a bit longer and his meaning was clear: _don't interrupt._

"Just as the pentagram's circle connects five points, the Covenant was formed with five families. Danvers. Parry. Garwin. Sims. Putnam. The Covenant fled England because they were feared and persecuted. John Putnam thought America was a land of opportunity, where the Covenant could rule as kings. His brothers disagreed, so Putnam departed. In Salem, he discovered your power to be limited, but Putnam also realized that by stealing souls he could increase his power. His victims were left with pale eyes and withered skin – the first of the Darklings. John Putnam was the first to steal souls and create something new and terrifying from the physical shell left behind, but he was not the only monster to exist in the world of magick. When the people of Salem caught Putnam, he was tortured, beaten, whipped, and eventually burned at the stake. That is what happens when you break the bond of the Covenant."

He paused there, allowing the depth of his words to sink in before continuing the story. "All relationships, no matter how strong, are put to a test. Best friends can either survive a trial by fire, becoming united by adversity, or else the bonds will be consumed in flames and burn. The Covenant _must_ remain strong! If you don't, you _will_ burn."

Gorman gave me another deliberate stare, and I felt the flames he spoke of stirring in my chest. I was sitting on a ledge, being forced to choose between my birthright and the damaged girl I'd become so attached to.

"We already had one break from the Covenant." It was Caleb who spoke this time.

"The likelihood of Chase surviving the fire is minimal. But Putnam's line was poisoned from the very beginning. We need to stick together."

"Chase got to us through Kate and Sarah." Tyler broke in. "Who's to say it's not him, going after another girl close to us?"

"She's not close to _us_. She's not a part of this at all." I refuted instantly. Was I really about to break the most sacred connection ever forged between warlocks? Tyler looked ready to argue, but Caleb stopped him.

"The fact is Keaton has made you vulnerable. The same way Sarah and Kate make us all vulnerable. If you trust her and intend to have her in your life, you have to tell her what's at stake. You have to tell her everything about us."

"I uh. I kind of already did."

"What do you mean, kind of?" Caleb's eyes narrowed.

"The other day when you guys came to tell me about coming here. Keaton was upstairs."

"You threatened to break the silence." Pogue drawled. "Cay, you called him a hypocrite because of how he's been acting about Sarah."

"Yeah, well. She overheard us. I told her why I was pissed about Sarah knowing. Turns out, she read the same book on our family history from the library. In my defense, it was the day before Thanksgiving that you asked me to get rid of it, and that's when this whole thing started."

"How is that 'kind of' telling her?" Caleb's voice reeked of suspicion.

"I told her about magic, darklings, the covenant of silence. I didn't tell her about Chase. I didn't think she needed to know about him and what he did to us." If this was making a choice, I hoped I made the right one.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** 5 months since I updated?! I'm sorry everyone. Here's a quick update to hold you over while I finish out the semester. Hopefully this summer we'll see a lot more in way of upates. Read and review! I love your feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome.

**[Previously]**

Sitting in an empty house left me with plenty of time to think about the events of the last three days. Was it really only three days? _"Tomorrow's Monday,"_ Reid had said. Time was irrelevant before. Now it's all-consuming. I can live with hepatitis C. The symptoms, the treatments, the side effects – it was all laid out on this little sheet of paper. A substantial amount of information that made the truth of my life tangible and physical. What kind of depraved, wicked being could do this to another? The monster invaded my thoughts, invaded my dreams, and I could do nothing but crawl beneath the plush blankets and silently beg for comfort in sleep.

**Chapter 23: Your Stories, My Alibis**

**[September's POV]**

The halls of Spencer were empty. There was not a single whisper of life in the air. Not even my own. I walked without a heartbeat, without meaning or purpose or a sense of reality. A corpse without a destination – wandering the halls of a nightmarish school, unable to feel; unable to understand or comprehend the depravity this place held. Dead space, dead air, dead girl walking.

_Yo! I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want! So tell me what you want, what you really really want!_

I sat up and grabbed my cell phone to silence the most annoying alarm in the history of the world. Loud, annoying, catchy, and bound to wake even the deadest of sleepers. Despite the sudden wakefulness, I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to close my eyes again either – not if it meant returning to that god-awful dream I was having.

I yawned and felt the aches in my body again as I finally contented to roll out of bed. I reached the bathroom and made an effort to do everything I needed to do without facing my reflection in the mirror. There was nothing I wanted to see, especially if the mirror might reflect the truth of my own condition. I needed only to get out and move on. I showered quickly, the boiling water relaxing my muscles and coating the bathroom in a fog that frizzed my hair the moment I stepped out of the tub. My reflection was blind thanks to the steam as I wrapped myself in a towel and brushed my teeth.

"_We're not _anything_ and we _never_ will be. Forget about this so-called connection and just let me go."_ The harsh words I'd spat at Reid in the car last night were echoing in my head. Why did I lie? Or was that the truth? Whatever was between us, it couldn't continue. He was a world apart from me – he was powerful and wealthy and more significantly, he was healthy and whole. I was tainted, broke and broken. We had just one thing in common now: we were both dangerous to others. Even silence between us reeked with violent tension.

_We're both better off if we just quit while we're ahead. Yeah. It's better this way_, I tried to convince myself as I toweled off and got dressed. I ran a brush through my hair a few times to untangle the auburn frizz, repeating to myself with each stroke the mantra, _it's better this way_.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: **To be honest, I thought I'd have plenty of time to add a couple chapters this summer, and then the next thing I knew the summer was gone and it was like I kind of forgot I was writing this until I got an email the other day saying someone had added the story to their alerts. THANK YOU for reading, and please do review and give feedback. You're the reason I write and the reason the story goes on. You're audienceship is much appreciated. I will try to update the story more than once during the winter break. I can't believe I've been working on this for so many years already. Thanks for baring with me!

**[Previously]**

"I told her about magic, darklings, the covenant of silence. I didn't tell her about Chase. I didn't think she needed to know about him and what he did to us." If this was making a choice, I hoped I made the right one.

**Chapter 24: Shadows Like Statues  
**

_**[Reid's POV]**_

"You're such a hypocrite! You gave me all this bull about Sarah and you went and told Keaton without even talking to us first?" Caleb was on his feet, shouting me down like a child who broke something irreplaceable. A week ago, I would have been on my feet shouting back. But I'm tired of fighting. I've got other things to worry about than Caleb's ego. And Gorman was right – if we kept going like this, it wasn't going to end well for any of us.

"I'm not gonna apologize for telling you off about Sarah, and I'm not gonna apologize for telling September either. You may be the oldest, but you're not the boss around here." I replied with a determined calmness. There was a beat, and Caleb stepped back.

"We've been at odds over the same stupid shit for 6 years now. I'm sick of running in circles."

"What are you saying, Reid?" Tyler disrupted the tense air in the room with the familiar nervous, babyboy fear in his voice; like I made some kind of threat.

"I'm saying I'm tired of fighting each other when we should be focused on fighting whatever it is that's out there trying to hurt us and the people we care about." An almost stunned silence followed my declaration.

"You've got a good point, Reid." Caleb resumed his seat.

"Always the tone of surprise." I felt like rolling my eyes, but for once I stayed level-headed. Gorman's words had really struck me_. Best friends can either survive a trial by fire, becoming united by adversity, or else the bonds will be consumed in flames and burn. The Covenant must remain strong! If you don't, you will burn. _I wasn't interested in stirring the fire. I needed them, my best friends, on my side. Working together was the only way to get through whatever was coming next.

"We need to figure out what's going on out there. Regain focus. Work together, before we have a repeat of the damage done to Kate and Sarah." Pogue lamented. I wondered briefly if things with Kate were any better since she'd found out about all of this; their relationship had become strained over the last few months.

"We need a plan of action. No loose ends. Let's do some research, find out if we can uncover the truth about Chase and his whereabouts – if he's alive or if he's dead. Maybe taking a look at the family history will help narrow down some other possible enemies." Caleb agreed, e looking to Tyler as he continued, "And we need to find out more about Darklings, about how the whole soul stealing thing works. Look into the lore on souls and soul-use in magick and see what you can dig up."

"I'll look into Chase's family history. The Putnam line here and in Britain." _Consider this my peace offering_.

"Okay. Caleb and I will look into the possibility of Chase escaping and scout the remnants of the old Barn. See what's lurking there." The starting points of new discoveries were set in place.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: **Look at that two updates in the same month!

**[Previously]** Whatever was between us, it couldn't continue. He was powerful, wealthy; healthy and whole. I was tainted and broken. We were both dangerous to others. Even silence between us reeked with violent tension.

**Chapter 25: Monsters Under Your Bed**

**[September's POV]**

The decision to quit Spencer and leave was impulsive and juvenile. When I arrived to campus Monday morning I saw the magnificent architecture of the academic buildings, the elegant statues that lined the gardens scattered throughout the school grounds, and the crisp New England wind with its abundance of colorful leaves as students made their way into the buildings. It was simply a beautiful sight. I worked hard to get here, and I wasn't going to let one individual person have so much power over me that I would abandon this absolute palace of academia.

When I reached my locker, a note was stuck between the metal ridges. Pulling it out, I saw Charlene's curvy handwriting: "Have news. Meet me in the caf parking lot asap!" _Always a flair for the dramatics. Who sends an actual handwritten note over a text message?_ But I smiled nonetheless. Charlene might be a bit of a gossip sometimes but she'd become a surprisingly good friend over the few months I'd been at Spencer. There was a certain charm about the way she did the simplest things, like leaving me a note or the way she would _literally_ hop up and down in excitement whenever she had a secret to share.

I made my way to the cafeteria and saw the back exit propped open with a small rock. Charlene was waiting for me, rocking on her heels as she waited. She watched with wide, eager eyes as I descended the stairs. "Oh good you're here! You're never gonna believe what happened."

As Charlene started rattling off the details of the latest Spencer news, everything from who got a haircut to who made out with who at Friday night's football game, I let my mind drift to the brighter side of Spencer. These next few months certainly weren't going to be easy, but I could make it work, right? I could make the necessary arrangements to reach my appointments at the hospital and still make my classes. If I let the world end every time I hit a bump in the road, we'd be at least five apocalypses in already.

"Girl, you should've seen the look on his face. What'd you do to break that precious boy's heart?"

I blinked. "Wait what? Whose heart did I break?"

Charlene rolled her eyes. "Reid was asking about you this morning. Looked like a beat up puppy. Get your head in the game, Sep."

"Charlene! Knock it off." She was not grasping the just-friends concept so easily. "What did he want?"

"Like I said, he was asking about you. Wondering where you were, if I'd seen you on campus. You know, since you missed class this morning." She gave me the _aren't you on scholarship?_ glare and put her hands on her hips. "Well? What's up?"

"I may have given him the impression I was dropping out." Her jaw dropped. Was it stupid to tell Charlene this? I mean, if Reid was asking around about me people were bound to come up with the rumor of my leaving anyway. "But I'm not. We got into a fight. I just wanted to freak him out, get him to leave me alone for a bit. The flat tire on my truck this morning was just lucky given the circumstances."

Her eyes narrowed but her shoulders relaxed. Charlene wouldn't press the issue.

"Did I miss anything important in English?" I asked, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

"We're starting the next book on the syllabus. Stephen King's _Dreamcatcher_. No weekly essays, just the midterm which is due before the holidays."

"That's 900 pages due in 3 weeks. How the hell do they expect us to do that?"

"Watch the movie." Charlene shrugged and threw her backpack on her shoulder. "But anywhooooo we can worry about that later. I gotta get to French or Mademoiselle Antoinette will have my head. À bientôt!"

I smiled and shook my head as I followed her up the stairs. Yeah, I could stick round a while. I'd deal with it all, one step at a time. _I'm not going to let them tear me down_, I told myself as I headed for my next class.


	26. Chapter 26

Author's note: Sorry for the delay! Summer break is here, and I have a ton of ideas that I'm working on. Read and review, constructive criticism is always welcome, and I apologize for the stylistic change in writing. Now that I actually have the time, things should only get better from here!

**Chapter 26: Believe What You See**

**[Reid's POV]**

The great thing about being a senior in high school was all the free periods. The idea is to strategically place them at the beginning or the end of the day so you can arrive late or cut out early. But with a limited number of courses offered that I still needed, I had no such luck in strategically placing my free periods anywhere but smack in the middle of my day. Since I usually spent my free periods alone anyway, or at least not with the guys, I found myself wandering into the library to do research on the Putnam line, as promised. What a way to wake up from my daily nap during history.

Usually the place was pretty empty during the day, with just a handful of underclassmen using their study halls to _actually_ study. Bunch of nerds. I hid in the back, behind the section on dead languages, and sat at the same table pouring over books on the family lineage not only of Chase, but of my own family and the rest of the covenant. God forbid something else hidden in our past might pop up and actually be important, like the story of John Putnam's incubus. They say everyone who looks into their family history will find a secret sooner or later. Clearly I was on the road to later, as nothing but names and dates and totally irrelevant information was displayed before me on the open pages.

"I hear you were looking for me." A voice interrupted my studying and my head snapped up.

"Jesus, don't sneak up on me like that." I hissed, rubbing my neck where I'm pretty sure I just pulled a muscle. I glanced into September's face and saw something different, something distinctly...glowing, like she had a spark in her eyes. The hell kind of look was that for someone who was supposed to be in the process of dropping out of high school?

"Sorry," she shuffled her feet and the spark in her features dimmed slightly. I didn't want it to fade.

"It's um. It's fine." I mumbled awkwardly. The Garwin charm was out the window, as per usual when this girl was around.

"So... You were asking about me?" She sat down across from me as she posed the question.

"You said you were dropping out,, and you weren't in class this morning" I watched as she slid her backpack from her shoulder and dropped it to the ground beside her chair, "but evidently you came back."

"I had a flat. Couldn't make it to first period."

"And dropping out is...?"

"No longer on the table. I changed my mind."

"You seem to do that a lot."

"There's gonna be a rumor going around soon about it anyway, since you were asking everyone and their mother where I was," September rolled her eyes, "but I already rectified it, told Charlene I said all that stuff just to freak you out."

"Glad I could be a convenient scapegoat for your mood swings." I grumbled, turning my attention back to the book in front of me.

"Reid," There was no way I was going to be able to focus on this boringass book with her talking to me with that kind of plea in her voice.

"What?" I shut the book and looked at her.

"I just... Thanks. For everything. Can we maybe get a redo on some of this?"

"A redo?"

"After everything that's happened, would it be so unreasonable for us to be friends?" Her suggestion rang in my ears for a good 60 seconds.

I blinked a few times, trying to assemble my thoughts, and finally I extended my hand for her to shake. She took my hand in hers and shook it firmly. "Friends."

"What are you studying?" Her hand let go of mine.

"Family history. Occultists were meticulous about their record-keeping but there is absolutely no useful information in any of these books." I indicated to the stack of books in front of me.

"Want some help? Maybe a second pair of eyes will help spot something fresh." Taken aback by her offer, but moving forward on the new-found notion of a friendship, I nodded in agreement. We both pulled books off the stack and began skimming through the pages in a peaceful, only slightly uncomfortable silence. Our study session on the founding Ipswich families lasted the rest of the period, with neither of us finding much useful information by the time the fifth period bell rang.

"You ever read _Dreamcatcher_?" September asked as she shouldered her backpack. I stood from my seat, stretching my arms behind my back before picking up my own messenger bag.

"Is that a serious question?" A book about four friends with powers, yeah I've read it cover to cover a thousand and one times.

"Do you ever think it's actually as simple as that? The movies they make about the supernatural, the books they right about it, maybe they're all just created to keep that kind of stuff hidden from us. Like the more times they show Practical Magic, the less likely the general population is to believe its real, when it in fact is very real."

"So what, you think popular culture is just a designed mechanism to keep people in the dark about the magic of the world?"

"Think about it this way. The more publicized something is, the less likely the truth is to surface. Point and case, that show _Supernatural._ If you google any of the creatures they hunted on that show, or looked up any of the lore they touched on, you'll find a bunch of fan websites and wikipedia articles pointing you in a dozen different directions and never find a final source for the knowledge."

"Okay, I'll bite. What's the conspiracy theory of the CW got to do with anything?"

"You're looking in occultist history books for information on a very famous group of people. This is the source material, where the facts and statistics and the dates are found. But the stories are found in the fairytales and the adapations made based on the source material. If you want to find out what the content of the books means, you have to find the ways the information has been interpreted and adapted for popular story telling. They change the stories sometimes because the records are so bland, and they make their own truth out of the information they find interesting and useful."

"Are you suggesting we watch a bunch of occult themed movies instead of reading these boring books?" Somewhere in her explanation we had left the library and reached her locker where September switched out her American Lit books for her biology book.

"Essentially, yes. I think we should watch the movies and cross-reference the information with the text to see where the records change. After all, the people who recorded all these witch trials weren't likely to admit the truth of what they saw when they were supposed to be nonbelievers in the occult and afraid of what they didn't understand."

"You had me at yes." I grinned as she slammed her locker shut.

"Here's the plan then. I'll come to your place and help you find whatever it is you're looking for in your family history, and you'll tell me everything I need to know to ace the test on _Dreamcatcher_ without ever having to open the book."

"Oh so now you're using me to get a good grade in American Lit." I snorted, leaning against her closed locker.

"Absolutely, that's what friends are for. We help each other out." She smiled at me and started off toward her class. I watched her descend the stairs at the end of the hall, heading for the science wing, before she disappeared from sight. Yeah, this was going to be interesting.


End file.
